The Shadow
by Kinoha
Summary: [COMPLETE!]What if Goku didn't die when Cell exploded but fell from the Snake Way to Hell due the explosion? What if Goten and Trunks are completely unaware of their Saiyajin heritage and the Z senshi's past? What if they made a wish to Hell...?
1. Prologue: Fallen

**A/N:** So to warn right in the start…this is my darkest and most violent fic ever and not my usually type of fic! Yeah of course I have to put up some random humor…And in the start this really isn't for G/CC lovers…like myself sigh . I am huge G/CC lover but sometimes you just have to do some variety, eh? Things can't always go as you want…

But I could never break any of the official DBZ pairings! ( ChiChi/Goku Bulma/Vegeta Kuririn/Juuhachigou Gohan/Videl ) In the end of the fic they'll end up together no matter what said or done! If not, they live alone until they die and reunite in Heaven…

I really don't know where I am going with this…But it's going to be dark I guess…

**Disclaimer:** The Holy Mighty Disclaimer's truths and advice in real life says: Thou never owned in the past, thou never own in the present, thou shall never own in the future but in the Hell thee can write fanfiction as much as thou want! But never shall thou own…

After this touching and heart braking piece of sucky poem on with this dark piece of fanfiction…

**Shadow** : Prologue

By **Kinoha**

He felt something hot and rough pressed against his cheek and it burned like hell. His whole body burned with the same agony. Carefully he turned his face upwards and winced slightly at the pain shooting up his neck and cheek.

Slowly he opened his coal black eyes and saw nothing else than pure blood red in front of his eyes blinking eyes.

" Huh…..?" was all he could say only to find his throat hurt too. Carefully the man sat up to inspect his surroundings. This hurt too. It was funny; he couldn't remember what had happened to him and how he ended up in such condition.

So far as he could see, there was rocky barren landscape, quivering in heat, few dried up trees decorating the picture. The ground was the strangest grovel he had seen. It was gray and almost golden colored in some points. The little pebbles were all very sharp and seemed to radiate certain nastiness. Far away in the distance were mountains or at least he thought so. They were ominous and almost as blood red as the sky were, looking repulsing and just plain deathly.

But those things seemed almost meek compared what he saw when he looked up. The man's eyes filled with amazement and slightest hint of fear was beginning to surface. This place definitely wasn't a safe one he concluded shivering, unable to tear his eyes off.

In middle of the crimson sky was a black sun, cold blue corona visible around it. It was darker than the blackest black and it seemed to suck the light. A black vortex of pure darkness.

With the sheer will power he tore his gaze away from the sight. This went from worse to worst.

The burning of his body made itself known again and he gasped in pain. He looked down to himself. His clothes were torn and soaked in blood. His pants were tattered beyond repair, dirty and bloody. The shirt was half one from the front and coated in crimson liquid as well. Only his boots were in somewhat decent condition. No wonder he felt like shit…

Suddenly he was aware of the heat that made the grovel hot and quivering as it made him sweat matting his usually spiky black hair and gluing his remaining clothes to his injured body. Soaked in sweat with open wounds made it all worse, since the sweat burned them with vigor.

He decided to ignore them. They weren't that bad after all, but he was still weak and was barely able to stand. He had better things to do; like trying to get the information of where the heck he was!

The man stood up with wobbly legs, taking support from a nearby rock only to have his hand burned. He yanked it off quickly and suppressed a reflexive yelp that almost escaped his lips. Something told him to keep it down.

The feeling in the air… he inhaled carefully and a scent of his own blood reached his sensitive nose. He looked down. Damn…the ground was soaked in his half dried blood. This just added to the pressing hot air around him. He gave a quick suspicious glance at the black sun above.

The place felt like death. Pure death and malice.

The man surveyed the area once more. It was death quiet. The only sound was his own ragged breathing and swishing of his remaining wardrobe when he changed his position. It was more than ominous.

The man started to feel pure panic and fear rise within his very soul. It was the environment that did it. The wordless threat floating teasingly in the air promising hell, the scent of death lingering his nostrils or was he just imagining it? His eyes darted wildly around and despite the heat, which was surely over fifty-Celsius degrees, a cold sweat run down the side of his head, down to his strong jaw and fell. It hit grovel and the sound of its 'plop' echoed loudly in the man's ears.

Or was he just imagining?

An urge to run heedlessly away from this feeling was almost overwhelming. He wanted to scream. He wanted someone here with him. He didn't want to be alone in this.

What was wrong with him! He rarely panicked, but… this desert…

He gritted his teeth in frustration, scared look in his black depths. It was the damn sun doing this! He was fast losing the fight in order to keep the panic inside and not to let it take control of his mind.

The unnerving silence…

The undeniable scent of death and his own blood…

The black vortex in the sky…

The whole place…

It encouraged him to let it go…

But his sense told him to shut the fuck up and not in any mind even move a muscle or more less scream out loud. It was this sixth sense, developed over years of training and fighting that hold him in bay. In some absentminded part of his mind he was very thankful to his self-discipline.

Then he became aware of yet another thing. He couldn't sense anything. Just more emptiness, yet his other instincts were screaming that there was somebody and a whole lot of them…He didn't know how much time had passed since he had woken up but it couldn't be more than few minutes. It felt like hours.

And more mystery…how he had ended up in this place in the first place? He couldn't remember…

The man calmed down a little. The panic lessened little but his guard was up more tightly than it had been in years. He concentrated on what could have happened before all this. Nothing…

He looked up in case there was a halo floating around his head. Nothing… At least he wasn't dead…he thought dryly. _But why I can't remember? Great…My mind locked itself into a psychological cell…Cell…Cell!_ He stared into nothingness_. I teleported away with Cell who blew himself up…I grabbed Master Kaiou and flew away as fast as I could…the shockwave… Then everything went black… Gohan…_

A slight movement just in the corner of his eye stopped his musings. His eyes narrowed and his face went to a serious almost frown. He turned his head warily and getting a glimpse of the person… or being…or something, he whirled around dropping into his unique fighting stance, eyes wide with surprise.

The thing was at least ten feet tall with red skin marred with dark scars. It had piercings all over. It was human bodied except its feet and hands were hairy and with nasty looking black beast claws. A loincloth was its only cloth. Goku lifted his gaze to the supposed man's face and froze. He had never seen such twisted and horrifying face.

The eyes were completely blood red with a tint of yellow in them. No pupil. No white of the eyes. Those terrifying eyes held a mad look in them and it seemed to be looking at him with a sadistic pleasure in its eyes. The face was most ugly thing he had ever seen.

The whole being radiated hate and malice reeking death and rotting corpses. Goku mustered his will power not to cover his sensitive nose with his hand.

Behind the being, appeared more of them. Around twenty more ugly creatures that he now assumed to be demons stood there looking exactly the same. The varied in colors from yellow to black but… Same mad sadistic eyes…

The Saiyajin shivered in utter disgust.

" We haven't had a new plaything for a long time…" The red one rasped out in a voice that promised torture and other bad things. Goku's stand tightened.

" So this one intends to fight back?" one from the group laughed, " This shall prove fun!" He narrowed his eyes more. Goku didn't like this at all. And it seemed like fighting was the only option right now and losing predicted very unpleasant things to happen.

He slowly started to gather his _Ki_ and to his shock nothing happened. The surprise on his face was evident as the group broke out in malicious cackling.

" For you to know…You can't use _Ki_ here since you're out of this place. To use _Ki_ here you have to be born here y'know…And we are!" The red one laughed with fake politeness they had been talking with. The demon smirked. " Little fuckers like ya are a rare pleasure…we've got the hell something to amuse us fuck it!"

" Crap…" he uttered his face crunched up in unreadable expression, but his eyes reflected nothing else than fear as the group lunged at him. But he'd be damned if he went down without a fight!

………………………………

There! This is only prologue! Trunks and Goten will appear in second chapter which I will add and write if this story proves to be worth of writing… So I assume you know what to do? Yes! Push the button!


	2. Chapter 1: 7 years later

**A/N: **Even though I didn't get any reviews…here's the other chapter…Guess I won't be writing more…

**Disclaimer:** The Holy Mighty Disclaimer's truths and advice in real life says: Thou never owned in the past, thou never own in the present, thou shall never own in the future but in the Hell thee can write fanfiction as much as thou want! But never shall thou own…

Chapter I – The wish 

A soft breeze blew lovingly through the green and lush woodlands making the trees rustle with it. The sun was already high in the sky basking the landscape with its warm rays. People went on with their lives completely obvious to the fact that their planet was inhabited by aliens or two aliens and three half-breeds to be more precise…

Two certain aliens, or half-aliens to be more precise and even more precise two Saiyajin half-breeds were looking rather nervous and kept glancing around like there would be some one trying to shoot them at any minute.

The other, Trunks, slightly taller and one year older than his companion Goten, had light violet hair looking almost white, with sharp blue eyes. He was dressed in white oversized white T-shirt which read 'Capsule Corporation' in front in black letters. The boy's shorts were muted dark green and his wrapped boots were yellow black. Goten was dressed in almost similar outfit to his friend. His T –shirt was blue and he had a green army type vest over it. Goten's shorts were red and he wore old trainers.

The younger boy's black hair stuck up in every direction possible and his black eyes were black and usually sparkling happily. Now they were little guilty and scared.

And what these two half-aliens didn't know was the fact they were from another planet and half-aliens in general. They were abnormally strong and knew some basics of Martial Arts, but their mothers had forbidden them from training or even learning fighting! The 8- and 7- year olds found this really irritating and frustrating, and even odd, situation since there had always been this certain pull in their blood that was almost impossible to ignore at times…

And since they didn't have a clue of their origins and true heritage…well they were just ordinary little pranksters. Trunks father, Vegeta, had always been a complete mystery to them. The man was ever scowling but still more understanding than any other of their families and friends. He had secretly taught the boys to fight even a little bit…

Bulma and ChiChi would have a stroke if they ever found out…The demonic duo as the adults often dubbed them, wondered what the planet's most dangerous women had against it.

" Trunks…are ya sure none will find out…" Goten asked nervously glancing at the seven glowing orbs with different amount of stars in each magical sphere.

" Of course not!" Trunks assured his friend but sounded more like he was trying to assure himself more. " And that legend can't be true anyway… The adults just make up things for children to keep them entertained or… something…I think…" the lilac top added little uncertain. This thing was making him nervous. First sneaking in his mothers lab, finding seven starry orbs, getting in middle of nowhere and no dad to save you if something dire should happen!

" Should we…um call the dragon?" Goten said finally after long pause, shuffling his feet nervously.

" Fine. Umm… What do I say?"

" I dunno…"

" Erm…Let's try this! COME FORTH O MIGHTY DRAGON LORD AND GRANT OUR WISHES AS WE WANT! NOW!" Trunks bellowed standing above the dragonballs like a manger summoning a demon and Goten standing by his side staring curiously at the spheres on the grassy field. Not a single breathe after the words left Trunks lips a yellow light shot out of the orange spheres knocking the boys on their backs.

The sky darkened dramatically to almost pitch black shade of darkness and thunder roared and flashed. The wind picked up the pace and boys' clothes flapped in the wind but they took no notice. Two sets of hugely wide eyes were locked on the forming snake like shape above them.

Suddenly green yellow form of Sheron the Eternal dragon hung in the sky its body slithering in the horizon. Two blood red eyes peered menacingly at the gaping duo.

" I'M THE ETERNAL DRAGON SHENRON AND YOU HAVE SUMMONED ME! THUS I SHALL GRANT YOU TWO WISHES FOR YOUR LIKING! SPEAK UP MORTAL, I DON'T HAVE ALL THE ETERNITY!" The bass booming voice of Shenron shook the ground and the two boys hugged each other in fear, staring in disbelief.

" WHAT IS YOUR FIRST WISH?" The dragon inquired again growing impatient with the each passing second.

Goten and Trunks stared still, their eyes round and squeezing the life out of each other.

" WHAT IS YOUR FIRST WISH?" Shenron growled starting to get pissed off. It did like the fresh air but hanging in the sky in a artificial-magic-made storm wasn't exactly the nicest thing in the world.

The boys kept staring.

The dragon sighed. This could be awhile…

" It's real…" Goten whispered in awe getting agreeing sounding grunt from Trunks. "What do we wish for?" The black haired chibi asked trying to go unnoticed by the huge serpent dragon. Those eyes gave him chills.

" I…uh…I know!" Trunks said getting up from the grassy ground. A glint lit up his eyes for a moment and Goten had a sudden feeling that this wasn't going to be the most safest thing in the world.

" SHENRON!"

" Finally….YEAH, WHAT?" It asked irritated and the two boys covered slightly.

" WE WISH TO SEE HOW THE HELL LOOKS LIKE!"

" IT TAKES THE POWER OF THE SECOND WISH AS WELL BUT IT SHALL BE DONE!" The dragon roared rolling its eyes though it wasn't visible. It really wasn't listening to what the boys were saying. It never had actually listened. Only in cases where the wish couldn't be granted which were annoying…

ZAP

They duo was gone. At least this save him the trouble of the second wish…Wait a second…Hell…Wish to be…

" Oh crap..." It muttered. " I need to start pay attention to the wishes they make…"

But it wasn't in its hands or whatever paws he had, anymore. Someone certain else would be taking care of them now.

………………………………

A man stood on a cliff in the quivering heat as the death silence surrounded him. The man didn't care, he was used to the extreme heat. His black eyes scanned the area thoroughly not missing a thing. The sight in front of him wasn't the most enjoyable thing in the living world or even in Hell general.

Mutilated demon bodies lay in piles soaked in puddles of black and red blood. Most of them were missing body parts. The stench was absolutely stunning. The man frowned, long ago learned to control his sensitive eyes, nose and hearing to accustom the situation in a way needed. Now he was shutting his nose off completely.

The sight didn't faze him in the slightest. Once it may had done it but he had seen worse. Much worse, and gone through more by himself. The man was wearing black combat trousers, black gi top and a blood red sash around his waist. His both hands were gauntleted and around his head was a worn brown bandana with a metal plate attached to it with a Kanji written on it. The man's black wild hair was pulled into a ponytail low to his neck and he had four front spikes. A dark scar run horizontally across his nose and a black scarf was wrapped loosely around his neck. The boots he wore were old and worn black battle boots with yellow stripes and trimming, tied with a short rope. You could say the only things that connected him to his past life…

The man was nicely tanned and muscular, but slender. You could even say he was scrawny and considerably thin from the lack of the nourishment. In Hell there wasn't much things to eat, but enough for survival.

In his back hung a katana, roughly made of the finest steel. It wasn't a magic sword or even a fine sword. It was a sword you fight with, not any of those decorated swords you say are the finest made on the earth and absolutely invincible. This sword was just a sword no more no less just as a katana should be. The key to your survival. A sword. Not a trophy or a decoration.

The man walked away soundlessly as a shadow hand shoved deep into his pockets. Not his business anymore. The demon clans could fight all they wanted. Just less work for him.

Suddenly there was a slight change in Hell's realm structure. He stopped annoyance evident on his scarred face. _Damn it! Another little shit! No wait two little shits…!_ The man rubbed his temples and sighed. Damn him and his kind nature.

It was almost every other day that some soul was accidentally thrown in the Hell. Usually they were wizards or idiotic apprentices in a try to summon a demon to serve them…what an idiots… He had only met three human magicians and the rest of the lot were aliens of different races…

He didn't want to admit it, but he had become some sort of Guardian of the Hell, helping people, killing necessary amount of rebelling demons in an attempt of break out and the control of the universe…damn he knew they had the power to do it. Demons were strong in Hell but almost four times as strong in living realm.

He had become attuned to Hell and its usually invisible changes. If something happened in there he'd know it. The Hell wasn't what it seemed to be. It was full of quicksand and desert storms and creatures that existed within the night only…It wasn't dead and unmoving as it let out itself to be.

_Oh great…_Those two were in the farthest point from the possible exit and probably screaming their heads off in panic as they usually did and took almost half an hour to convince them that he wouldn't hurt them and try to fight off those sadistic bastards called ogre demons at the same time... He growled in annoyance. If he'd hurry he maybe had the change to get those two. Sadly, he always couldn't save the fallen people and now it looked like a situation like that. But the ogres where just now having a shift change in patrolling the wastelands…

The man presently known as Shadow began running towards the two as fast as he could. He had developed the endurance for it. He was a Saiyajin after all… The man also known with name Son Goku in some previous life that he could not return to, wondered shortly what two poor panicked specimens he would have to save today...

………………………………

Trunks blinked. Goten blinked. They stood in middle of the hot-as-hell barren desert. It was bright. Almost too bright for the boys.

" Trunks…do you have a feeling that something went little wrong…!" Goten said deadpanned turning to face his friend in schemes.

" Yes." Came as deadpanned answer as they looked around the never-ending wasteland.

………………………………

**O.O** ( notice huge pleading puppy-dog eyes…)


	3. Chapter 2: Shadow

**A/N:** Finally wrote another chapter! The boys meet the Shadow and their journey begins! Yay! Thanks for those who reviewed! That means so much for me!

**Disclaimer:** The Holy Mighty Disclaimer's truths and advice in real life says: Thou never owned in the past, thou never own in the present, thou shall never own in the future but in the Hell thee can write fanfiction as much as thou want! But never shall thou own…

**Chapter II –** Shadow

Trunks and Goten gazed around in wonder and in slight fear of the hostile environment they had been wished into. The heat quivered around making everything appear foggy and hit the little boys in waves that matted their clothes to their bodies. The air hung eerily quiet and even the slightest whisper felt like a sin. Now wind, no sound of any kind and it was creeping out the two boys used to noise and hassle around them.

Gazing around, the wild-haired boy frowned deeply. His usually so much better senses that the others had were... duller. Like there was a veil between him and his...what? His nose, taste, hearing and sight were normal but what was lacking? He turned to Trunks, abruptly needing to know the other boy was there.

" We're in middle of a desert of somekind..." Trunks concluded, trying to sound smart, looking around, flinching at the loudness of his own voice. This whole place felt so wrong and for some strange reason his throat was constricting like holding back a scream.

" Trunks..." Goten swallowed, apparently feeling the same strange feelings, and pointing upwards where his black gaze was also fixed. The lila-topped boy lifted his head to look upwards and gasped. A huge black something was hanging on the sky like a sun. Pulling forwards their minds and feeling, feeding to them, more foreboding as thousand angry Vegetas. He fell on his knees onto the gravel, but was quickly forced to stand up again due the scalding-hot ground.

Death and pain...

Malice and sadistic pleasure...

It called to darkness and sin...

" What is that thing..." he wondered as the sudden rush of fear and helplessness rose within him. He almost sobbed. What was wrong with him and this place everything!.? He wanted daddy... He couldn't tear his gaze off of it.

" I wanna outta here!" Goten wailed, huggin himself as the unexplainable panic consumed him. He couldn't think straight nor even try to reason with the feelings. Gotens shut his eyes with huge starin of his own will. He just wanted home!

Soon the miserable duo was screaming and crying in fear and all negative emotions, hugging standing each other for reassurance. The black vortex encouraging them to let it all out, feed it! Hugging; it helped a little, but not enough. The blackhole in the sky grew more powerful, feeding off in the sadistic pleasure from the boys' distress even more.

The heat and the unnatural brightness was dehydrating, and crying wasn't helping any, them quickly and their faces and arms were burning red. There was no shadows anywhere. The light just was there, coming from no certain direction, but from everywhere. They were covered in sweat from head to toe.

They should have never made that wish. Trunks bit his lip. They should never have even thought of the whole ' We-wanna-see-Hell!' This certainly wasn't the place his Papa had told them and got always smacked by Mother for telling them such vile fairytales. Damnit! He was the older of them; supposed to take care of things...

The fear's horrifying grip tightened it's iron fist around their hearts and minds, making even the breathing hard. Goten sobbed and whined quietly, too scared to wail loudly and too tired to do so. He wanted his big brother. He wanted Uncle Vegeta... Goten was hungry and tired, death suddenly feeling like very good option...

The time passed on and their sensitive child's skin were almost blistered. The half-Saiya-jins felt suddenly the air cool down just a little and like... someone was there, blocking one fracture of the unholy lights rays. Call it a sixth sense, will you. Had the boys not possessed blood of alien warrior race this might have gone unnoticed by them. Maybe it was finally death... maybe they were hallucinating.

Goten lifted his tear-stricken and burnt face anf froze, his mouth dropping at the sight he wasn't sure to welcome or fear.

" Tr..Trunks...ss..." he croaked, shaking the other boy. Trunks already gaped with same experession of horror, surprise and curiosity natural to childres of that age. In front of them, no more than four feet apart, stood the ugliest and scariest creature a child could possibly dream up.

It was shocking pink, that kind of piercing pink that sends shiver down your spine, ten feet tall and covered in scars and...was that blood? It was something resembling a human with long-furred hands and legs, weird satanic piercings covering it all over. Long shiny beast's claws were attached to them and slivers of something were stuck inot them. Perfect for ripping and plundering.

The creature carried no other clothes but a loincloth.

It fixed it's pupilless yellow eyes at the shivering boys in fron of it. Those eyes held more evil than the whole Earth could probably ever contain. So hypnotizing... Small curved horns stuck out of its head like deformed trees. In short; the epitome of demon and evil.

The creture itself scared the remaining crap out of the boys, but what really made them freeze in soul taking terror were the eyes;the face. Mad, twisted into a axpression that shouldn't be even humanly possible, living for the pure kill only. The only word the duo's paralyzed minds managed to dig from out was 'death'.

It smirked and Goten and Trunks began backing up, panicked and shaking like leaves.

" Ah...Looka that. It's been damn to long since ah've last had any fun...Coulda use a snack." It licked its lips in very disturbing way, reveling rotting sharp teeth. " Brats' flesh has always been mah favorit, y'know...juicy, fresh... so tasty..."

Goten and Trunks could only stare as the demon went on how good they tasted and what he'd do with them. It took one jolly step forwards and Goten leaped backwards, but Trunks was too paralyzed to move.

" Ah'd like to see how **he** is going ta pull this one..." the pink abomination smirked, pure malice shining from it's face as it brought one hand to strike the frozen half-breeds, attacking. Goten and Trunks screamed bloody murder and it echoed thorough the desert.

Goten could see everything in slow-mode. One big, hairy-clawed hand coming at break-neck speed to his head. It would hit crushing his skull and brain and blood would be everywhere. As the cry of horror erupted from his thick-feeling throat he wondered how exactly he as able to see the strike coming. He was going to die... Distantly he could hear Trunks crying too.

Just as the paw was going to hit with bone-shattering force, it stopped. The whole demon creature of Hell froze and its eyes widened almost comically. Goten stared, his scream cut off by the sudden stop. His lila-haired companion had also fallen silent staring incredulously at the demon that was just about to do some 'nasty' things to them then just quit.

" For yer knowledge, fucker, **he** is going to pull this one like this." A low voice hissed behind the great demon ogre, chilling to the bone despite the heat. The demon gulped audibly and visibly, looking suddenly very nervous. Second later it traded places with loathing and anger.

" Can't we talk 'bout this, _Kage no yarou_. Ah'll leave calmly and let ya deal with them." The pink creature snarled and stayed as unmoved as before, trying to pull the good old one. Trunks getting his wit and gut somewhat back, still scared beyond beliefs and eyes wide, wondered why the demon didn't attack. It clearly had the advantage over the situation so...

" You always were a coward, Sakamada." The voice replied with loath and the creature got again nervous. Goten perked up at the voice. It sounded distantly like his big brother Gohan's voice... strange... The demon gave a inhuman animalistic wail and desperately tried to escape. Alone it wouldn't have a change against him...

" NO! WAIT! AH'LL..." it cried.

" Fuck off!"

With blue horizontal flash the ogre stood there, face confronted into a scream. It looked even madder than before. It coughed up one mouthful of blood and saliva, splattering it soundly onto the desert ground. Moment later it fell in two pieces, cut in half from its waist. The troublesome duo watched in wonder as the halves fell into piece of blood and guts, deep black and red puddle forming under it. Trunks scrambled farther from the spreading blood puddle as it hissed vehemently, melting the gravel, obviously very corrosive. His mother had always said not to touch anything marked with hand and red cross on the bottle, it being corrosive poison and not good for you.

" Get away from it!" A voice barked and Trunks and Goten lifted their heads to see a man dressed in black combat trousers, tank top with read sash around his waist, his gauntletted hand still holding the worn-looking katana sword in striking position, not a drop of blood smearing it. His jet-black hair was spiking in every direction, tied back into a ponytail. Around his forehead was a headband with metal plate and some Kanji written on it. From his shoulders hung a dirty traveling cloak and his face as covered with a black scarf.

With his good sight Trunks could see his eyes were black, narrowed into a glare which reminded him of his father. He watched intrigued as this man's eyes went wide with surprise and he almost dropped the katana in shock, but he recovered in such time that Trunks wasn't even sure it had happened at all.

The man sheated the sword calmly inspecting them thoroughly. Trunks almost had time to open his mouth to say something as Goten beat him into it and the momentarily gone panicky feeling came back.

" Who are you?.! You used 'bad words'!" The spiky haired child shouted fearfully. Who knew; maybe this one another demon trying to trap and eat them. Trunks nodded and warily eyes him. The man chuckled then got serious again.

The man snorted walking closer and kneeled in front of them. " I should be the one asking that. You are the ones invading, y'know." The voice as quiet yet strong and the boys felt themselves unable to back away from the demon slayer as the man placed his hands on their shoulders.

" Huh?" Goten said. The fearful rush he'd been experiencing started to fade rapidly. Panic, fear, the suicidal thoughts went away like someone had just opened the windows to the room that had not been opened in hundreds of years.

" Whoa! It's gone!" Trunks exclaimed happily.

" Shush!" The man clamped his hand on his mouth. " Not a word. The other demons will hear ya! It's bad enough with your screaming and all already! Only quiet talk or whispering!" he ordered sternly, glaring. The half-breeds nodded, listening. This man took away the bad feeling so he couldn't be that bad... besides, to Trunks, this seemed awfully like a rescue mission.

" Now, from now on; no speaking loudly, no going farher than seven feet from me and that's already too much. I'm getting you two troublemakers outta here, ok? Your senses will be outta it fro awhile and ya can't feel others from here. And don't damnit even try to rise your _chi_, or we're fucked oh so deeply! Understood?.!"

Goten and Trunks nodded in unison though they had no idea wat the man was talking about, meaning _chi_. The shrugged. After all they felt much more secure right now.

He took his hands away, looking at them what they could almost identify as a smile.

" Let's go."

" Wait, Mr.! What's your name and how did you know where we were?" Trunks whispered, pointing at his face, scowling and moved to stand in akimbo. The man's eyes glittered in amusement, like he knew something they didn't.

" That... is none of yer concern, brat. I give a damn about yer names, how ya got here in the first place and shit like that. But for starters; Ya can call me Shadow. Everybody else does. We have a long road or desert ahead us. Ya two appeared into the farthest corner of this fucking hell-hole y'know. It's your luck I was running away from the Tribe to this direction..." he left the end hanging and the duo could pretty much guess what would have happened. It was a scary thought.

They nodded again dumbly.

" Fine...Let's hit the road shall we?" Shadow smirked, his eyes gleaming. This wasn't going to be a trip to Caribbean, it was sure.

**A/N:** Here! Next chappie will have more of Goku's pow! Review!


	4. Chapter 3 : The world left behind

Thanks for the reviews, folks! I really appreciate them!Onwards we go...

**Disclaimer:** Nuff! Enough said...

**Chapter III – The world left behind...**

Grasping tightly the small hands of the trouble-wrecking children, Goku slowly rose to his feet. Normally he wouldn't have bothered with holding hands and keeping the negative effect away from the poor fallen bastard, but for Trunks and Goten's defense he could say they were children and no child should feel that feeling no matter how annoying or well they handled the feelings.

Gazing down at the small beings he noted their ragged appearance and red, sun-burn skin. Frowning, he knew they were near dehydration and needed rest and water. All those things the Hell didn't give a rat ass' chance of happening. The water existed, but it was rare and hardly drinkable anyways. It didn't matter to the demons or dead people for they were dead anyway and hunger and thirst were only consept for them but for living such as him and now Goten and Trunks...

This journey was becoming harder and harder by any thought he thought and decided to stop doing so, settling for getting some shade and water for the boys.

" Where we going?" Trunks whispered breaking the pressing silence.

" To get ya outta here." he answered simply, tugging them to walk forwards with him. Goten and Trunks sulked. This really wasn't the way a hero via rescuer was supposed to act. He was mysterious, wore a scarf around his face and gave rat's ass about them.

Inspecting the gauntleted hand, clothed in fingerless gloves, Trunks couldn't help but feel familiarity. His hands were excatly like his father's. Worn and calloused, so strong that they could crush smaller beings easily. The showing fingers were scarred and being broken many times before.

Their headtops barely reached his waist though the man wasn't that tall. Trunks shook his head and concentrated on walking. It was difficult and he was about the fifth time within these ten meters to hit his toes on sharp rocks.

Goten held on the hand tightly almost cutting off the blood circulation on Goku's hand. This was all so new and exiting, yet, at the same time very scary. The little demi-Saiyajin wasn't sure why the man was so familiar and why did he feel like he was in the safest place upon Earth, when he was in middle of the most vehement environment ever? And he still couldn't shake the feeling of Gohan, when around this man. Their eyes were same thought the general look in them was different.

Goku watched the two carefully. Trunks was concentraiting on walking and Goten looked like he was deep in thought, eye brows knitted together. Never in the world he would have belived that his and Vegeta's sons could so close friends. His son... he shuddered. How many times had he seen unpleasant nightmares... let's not go in here, he decided.

The only way fr the boys to ever get in Hell was thru Dragonballs and miss-spoken wish... he guessed hearing about Hell had been the ignitor for this whole mess and they had confused it for HFIL. Why couldn't people just believe the actula Hell and HFIL were completely different thing? From Hell, King Yemma just didn't take you out of there and you stayed there for the rest of your life, living or dead. You came in Hell, you stayed there. Unless...

Unless you were fallen and happened to come across certain Hell's angel Shadow... he chuckled dryly. That little rift between dimension was handy. Goku's thoughts returned to his unknown son.

How was his life? How was he getting along with people? How was the world treating him? Did he ever think about who his father was? Could he ever reveal he was his father that he was in Hell involuntarily and alive?

No.

He would never know any that again. He didn't beling that world anymore and never would again. He was far too changed just to return to them. Besides, he didn't have the right to. Could he just march into Goten's life like that? When he already had a father? He knew ChiChi had remarried shortly after his supposed death to some prince from a distant country who was much better father to Gohan and Goten than he ever could have been. He didn't know was he supposed to cry or murder the bastard that dared to touch his ChiChi...

Who wasn't his anymore. He was 'dead' after all and thus ChiChi was free... and he doubted he had anymore a place in her heart. Could he take that all away? Break the security of a happy home? No.

He woulnd't do that. Not to Goten. Not to his family.

It was better if he never knew him as a father. It was better know him as a Shadow, a mysterious figure that visited his life once. No more.

He was sure Vegeta was a good trainer and they would grow up to be strong. And Gohan...?

Gohan hated him for leaving, for dying like that. For being too weak to kill Cell himself... and that stung the worst.

He bit his lip, drawing blood as tears threatened to fall. Not many things could make him cry or emotional move him nowdays and he welcomed his ability to cry, but now wasn't the moment to fall in self-pity. He had a mission to pull thru and that mission happened to be his own son's life and ine of his past friend's son's life as well...

He forced the tears back, blinking rapidly. The past should be not dwelled on in a circumstances like this. It just gets you killed, he reminded himself and sped up the pace slightly. The only even little safe oasis was only ten kilometers away...

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Sorry it's short people, but that's all this chapter can contain without giving things away and opening the first layers of the huge knot of plots behind everything... REVIEW!


	5. Chapter 4: The oasis of laughter

**A/N:** Hello! Mesa back! Thanks for all the reviews! I really appreciate them! Sorry for the wait dudes and dudettes... This is pretty mild and nice little chapter, so enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** My lawyers are working on it...

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**Chapter IV – The Oasis of Laughter**

" Mister Shadow..." Goten whined, "Does it take long, still. I'm hungry, thirsty and tireeeeeed from walking..."

" Yeah... we have walked like seventy gazillion point two kilometers already... here's nothing else but sand, sand, sand and surprise: more sand!" Trunks joined in the whining tirade and Goku sighed dragging the two forwards by hands. The two boys were tired and lagging and stumbling and the only thing that kept them in upright position was because he kept them and Goku really coulnd't blame them.

" They could do some variety to the environment. there's so hot... blasted hot..." Goten continued, looking completely drained.

" My throat is like sandpaper. I've got sand in my shoes... I want water, soda... even mom's made dishwater tasting orange juice would do... gaaaahh!" Trunks added and almost sorely let himself being dragged on by Shadow, under the unbearable heat and the black vortex sun. Goku kept trudging forward, his gaze determined and deep in thought. He only listened with half-brain and ear what the brats were whining about. The usual stuff it seemed; the sun, the heat, the friggin' sand everywhere... he had heard it all, though he was mildly surprised that a son of Vegeta was such a baby. Goten he had expected since ChiChi tended to spoil children rotten while being freakishly strict control and study freak.

He quickly erased the picture of his beloved enigma of a wife, from his mind before it led to another depressing memories and thoughts that wouldn't do any good to them right now. He had to save these kids, no matter what. Albeit he had never failed rescuing a person that he had found, the doubt of succeeding was present now. This was actually important.

" Mister Shadow! Are you even listening?" Goten demanded, in a verge of temper tantrum of a six year old he was.

" Yes. I hear ya. Drop the 'Mister' sh- stuff, Goten." he said absentmindedly, straining his sight and hearing and remembering how Gohan always called Piccolo 'Mister', and more memories were surfacing from their long time confinement . No demons or any other ogres in are of five kilometers, he decided as the invisible energies and feelings of Hell remained unmoving in this section. Goten and Trunks gasped in surprise and stopped abruptly, perking up considerably.

" What is it?" he hissed, as they stopped completely. He didn't need a pit stop in middle of desert right now. Goten and Trunks gazed at him eyes open wide with wonder. Goku silently cringed at the state their burned and dirty faces were, regretting his tone of voice immediately.

" Whoa! You must be a mindreader! You know our names when we didn't even tell them!" Trunks explained, enthralled with the thought of being in company of a person who was capable of such feat.

" Yeah! That's cool!" Goten whispered enthusiastically, eyes shining with excitement and Goku's eyes widened ever so slightly in surprise. How could he let himself slip like that! Shit, he cursed silently.

He snorted confidently. " Feh. It was nothing. You've done nothing else expect whine and you used each other names quite often." he told them, hoping they'd buy his excuse. He watched as their faces fell at this information.

" Oh..." Goten sighed disappointed.

Trunks stayed silent and glared at him. He didn't exactly recall using Goten's name in his presence or Goten using his, but they must have; how else he could have known them. Goku almost laughed at the expression on Trunks' face. It was a carbon copy of those glares and scowls he had received during his 'friendship' with the prince of the Saiyajins on daily basis. Goku glared back slightly and they started their journey, the boys oddly quiet which was just fine with Goku.

He'd really need to be more careful around Trunks in the future. He was already suspicious about him and was just as observant as his father. If he happened to discover his identity he could always relay on the fact they really didn't know about Son Goku.

" It's only half kilometers left and it will son get dark." he assured the boys, who seemed to get more strength from his words. They trudged forwards in the calming presence of the mysterious Shadow persona who got even more veiled in the secrets and riddles than before. The lila-haired boy swore he'd never again use Dragonballs recklessly, no matter how cool this adventure was.

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Little later they entered a rocky area of black and brown base rock foundation. It consisted of sharp edges and stones and were tearing their pants and shoes and the heat increased considerably. Goten felt like he'd faint if he took another staggering step more. The whole place seemed to hate him with all its guts and resources. A sharp corner a stone made a little scratch on his shin and he hissed as it also burned. He swore the rock was originally a meter away from its current position. His vision was swinging and looked really unstable.

Trunks was in same condition, but was holding off little better. His head pounded and it felt like Barney the purple dinosaur's was singing his theme song there while dancing river dance with his doppelgangers, which was creeping him out since there was nothing more wring in the world that that damned Barney. Goku noted worried the half-conscious state the little urchins were in and thanked his luck that the oasis was only behind a corner. He tightened his grip and spoke softly.

" Just little farther..." he whispered gently as tow small bodies went lip from the dehydration, partial shock from the sun burns and heat and from absolutely mental and physical stress. He cursed and supported the little forms preventing them from getting burned badly by the scalding rocky earth and gathered the under his muscular arms, hurrying his step. Spewing curses, he turned to a small ravine hidden in the cliff side so that only ones who knew where it was could find it and being the only living being in Hell that knew this place they were considerably safe now. In his newbie days he had discovered this place by accident of falling rather painfully down the cliff side due to demons cornering him on it. He had survived but it was still one of his most painful experiences.

He cringed and spew some more curses.

A small shadow in the wall marked the orifice and he entered. The ground began slanting downward, now the cave covered in gentle shadows. Goku knew there were no shadows in Hell but this place seemed to be some sort of 'dead angle' that allowed these refreshing shadows form. He thought dryly how the world would take the news that the shadows and darkness were actually the good thing and not full of lurking beast as it was so often assumed.

The small passage opened into a dusky gave and in middle of it was a crystal blue shimmering with only one light of ray. The light didn't have a source; it simply existed, and the small crack in the roof of the cave was enough lit the whole enclosure. Lush flowers covered walls and ground and couple of trees were growing on the other side. The small pond was clean and clear and the freshness around the trio made Goku sigh in contentment. He would live here if he could; the damned demons worked whole the time to track him down and the last thing he wanted was the exposure of this place. Any more of the unholy light and...

He placed the boys gently on the cool, soft grass and they whimpered in pain. He let go of them, knowing the pace also deflected the effect of the vortex or at least lessened it great deal. He even himself felt the pressure he'd learned to endure lighten. Hastily taking off his cloak and scarf, he soaked them in the cool water and wrapped the boys on them the best he could. God, it felt good to breathe without the dusty scarf covering his face. The Saiyajin placed his katana on the grass and pulled out a small empty water bottle and went to fill it and then drank to his hearts content. How long it was since he had last drunk anything? Two days? Maybe three?

He snickered as he filled the bottle. It was magical that could carry almost fifty liters of water. Little inter-dimensional spell one of the older wizards, the poor fuck had an idiot as apprentice that couldn't tell apart dried bat wings from fried bat wings; results were disastrous and the old man was being thrown into Hell, had granted him it as reward for his help. If only the demons knew... his sole reason of survival: a magically enhanced bottle of water.

He returned to the boys and began giving them water though their cracked and dry lips hardening his will against the urge to cry and cuss for them.

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Trunks woke up feeling cool all over though uncomfortable as the harsh texture of the cloak rubbed his sun burns. His blue eyes scanned his surrounding carefully. He saw rocky roof of some rocky formation and his blue eyes widened and he shot up in shock. He looked around wildly and saw Goten besides him, still unconscious, wrapped into some wet cloth just as he himself was. He noticed Shadow's katana laying idle on the grass but the man himself wasn't present and Trunks got immediately scared.

Just as fast as the feeling had come, it disappeared as he saw the crystal blue lake shimmering the one ray of light. Water! His throat felt parched and he began furiously shaking his half-breed friend.

" Goten! Goten! Goten! Wake up, dammit! Water! There's water!" he cried out joyously.

" Miuh...?" Goten shined as his inky black eyes opened tiredly. What was going on? He wasn't dead, was he? Trunks' incoherent rambling became suddenly very clear as he bellowed the word water. The offspring of Goku sprung up faster than ever in his life.

" Where!" he gazed around in wonder, until his eyes too found the small pond. " Whoa... whatta place..." They admired the place for awhile stunned and then rushed to drink the cool colorless liquid of survival. It was cold and refreshing; probably the purest and cleanest water either one of them had ever drank in their short lives. The sound slurping and sipping echoed in the cave formation as the duo filled their deprived bodies with water. More, more and more. Heck! Water had never tasted so good! Goten swore he'd never again whine for soda or juice, but instead would get a glass of ice cold water himself.

Neither one heard Goku walk behind them carrying a bloody leg of his hunt with him. He smiled relieved. The runts were awake and from the looks of it, really fine. They had been out of it for a day already.

" You shouldn't drink so fast and much." he stated coolly from behind them as the two boys jumped in surprise, turning around startled.

" Shadow! Where were you?" Trunks demanded and stared incredulously the bloody animal leg hanging from his shoulder.

" Hunting." he replied tersely and plopped the leg down.

" Oh... hey... why we can't drink! There's lots of water there!" Trunks pouted arrogantly, gesturing at the pond. Goten also looked questioning, his face dripping with splashed water. Goku gave them an amused glance and stood there his arms crossed as Goten and Trunks mirrored his stance, defiantly.

" Urph!" they gagged in unison, suddenly holding their stomaches and turned to vomit all the water to the grass. Coughing and gagging they stared at Shadow accusingly, feeling absolutely horrible.

" Don't look at me like that. You bodies have been with out any nutrition and fluids for almost two days straight and it repels such amounts of water since it's become accustomed to no-food mode, but you'll be fine soon. It'll be soon fixed. Just sip slowly." He explained. He had never been good with any fancy words or explaining things but the understanding on their small faces told he had done fine job in it.

" Augh... you traitor." Goten glared at his stomach, looking severely betrayed. Trunks only settled for rubbing it and looking betrayed as well. Goku couldn't contain his mirth but burst out in honest pure laughter, the one he hadn't laughed or felt in nearly eight years. Goten and Trunks stared at the man surprised. He sounded so friendly and honest and the began giggling along at the situation.

Goten began talking to his stomach and calling it childish names as they laughed on.

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In the deepest pits of Hell one individual that hadn't been awake nearly for five hundred years, began stirring restlessly from it's deep slumber. It slowly began its journey from dream realm back to other world's Hell, where only the worse of the scum ever was sentenced. Even Saiyajin race hadn't been that bad, when they had been punished for what Frieza had made them to be or when Frieza himself had finally died, even he wasn't bad enough to be condemned to Hell, but instead to its milder counterpart, HFIL.

Now one of the most terrifying creature ever existed was waking up from its prison as the spell binding it had weakened in the turn of the time and the worlds' of all realms, were about to face a challenge and change never seen before.

For it was angry. Very very angry.

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**A/N:** Dun dun duu... review! And you'll found out more! I know you wanna! JA NE!


	6. Chapter 5: Life is

**A/N:** Sorry this took so long but my life is really hectic: I am in school's Drama Club, I sing in a Band, I train ninjutsu three times a week plus friends and homework to that...

Special thanks for **troubles** for giving me the kick to start writing this chapter and update various other fics too! Thanks dude! Huge gratitude toward all reviewers too!

**Disclaimer:** Old legend goes: You shall write, you shall plot and plan but never shall thou own... bleh...

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**Chapter V – Life Is**

The night of Hell was something different. It was actually the safest and the most dangerous time of Hell: there was absolutely darkness with no lurking shadows. But then again, the shadow was everywhere. It was well known fact to the resident of Hell that shadows and malevolence cannot exist in darkness. Such things could only exist in light a place where goodness and purity reigned where shadows were cast by the mortals and immortals alike.

In Hell night was pitch black. No sound nor light. Just the basic essence of darkness: cold, dark and uncaring.

The hidden sanctuary where the trio was spending night and recovering a campfire crackled happily, casting warm and foreboding shadows to the stony walls. As earlier stated the night was safest time and the most dangerous time but when you knew what to do then it was the safe. The only thing that keeps darkness at bay in the unnatural blackness is light itself. The shadows exist in the light; the light exist in the darkness.

Campfire, the mankind's first weapon against darkness and coldness.

Son Goku found it absolutely ironic. A mere campfire, no matter how small, was the ultimate weapon in the night of Hell. Even the demons themselves used fires to keep the lurking evilness and freezing night air away, it being too corrupt even for their race. He absently poked the fire and arranged the burning twigs and small branches with a sooty stick so the fire would last longer and burn better.

An orange hue reflected of his black eyes as he stared at the enthralling almost throeing dance of flames. The two small boys were asleep nearby, curled into a ball and snuggling in his traveling cape. They were no longer dusty or thirsty; that all had been taken care by the crystal lake in the hidden cavern. They were still dead tired and injured slightly from the sun-burns.

Goku sighed. His own skin had long ago toughened to withstand the deadly rays of the sun and he had gained quite a tan. He used to have pale skin... the same color as both of his sons had. His mind was unusually wandering tonight, catching into little details and pointless things and useless pondering. He calculated how long it would take the boys to be able to stay in the sun without burning. He had developed resistance in weeks and judging their almost month long trek to the dimensional rip that would send the boys home... yep. They'd be fully tanned.

He closed his eyes and felt around with his senses. The darkness was there just outside the ring of light the fire provided. The subtle change there and here as usual. The he felt it; a tremor in the air that didn't belong there. Goku frowned in concentration. Whatta hell it was? The invisible tremor got louder and strengthened. A cold sweat was beginning to form on his forehead but he didn't notice. A sudden flash of incredibly bright red exploded in his mind's eyes and Goku gasped in surprise, grabbing his head violently. It felt like someone or something was jarring two pieces of substance together and it let out a horrible screeching noise that echoed in the every corner of Hell.

The full-blooded Saiyajin stifled a yelp of shock that threatened to rip from his throat. It passed as quickly as it had come, leaving him feeling oppressed and thoroughly puzzled.

" Whatta the fuck was...?" he breathed opening his eyes and quickly checking if the children had reacted to the silent and completely astral screech. The slept without a care in the world. Lucky them... The whole thing had taken barely three seconds and yet it left him almost scared like a newborn baby without his mommy.

It had been so long time ago since he last time had been scared or deadly afraid. The last time was just as he found himself in Hell and the demon-ogres attacked and captured him... The whole week had been one long horrendous event of fear and pain... before he had escaped... Goku snarled and shook his head to clear his thoughts that were becoming messy and jumbled of the thinking of his past and the weird experience seconds ago.

How he had wished he'd have his powers back then; the safe feeling of his golden and crackling aura around him, the chi pulsing thru his veins and being; the knowledge that one of the most powerful chi amounts in the universe was yours to summon in a split split second to defend the Earth. He missed flying in the clear blue sky as the green lushness spread under him; the wind in his hair... the feeling you were one with the element of air.

He still longed for his old powers and family and friends, but the acceptance of never ever getting any of that back was hesitantly settling in. Besides, he had now new powers. Being a Saiyajin gave you other advances that superior fighting abilities: he was able to adapt to new environments and lifestyles much better than any other race could ever hope.

When he lost his chi he didn't lose his physical condition and stamina and he gained new instincts he didn't even think were possible. His mind was in sync with Hell. Every being or change or portal opened didn't escape his keen mind's eye. Though he admitted he was a lot skinnier and more sinewy and had few more noticeable scars than before he wasn't dead either...

Goku decided to take a few hour nap and then feed the fire again to keep it going. He scooped his katana close and settled on the grass with one last glance checking the boy who were sprawled in weird positions and completely tangled in is cloak. Damn bloody twenty four hour nights!

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On Earth, in the living realm, Gohan was speeding across the blue sky with a tremendous blue aura pulsing and blazing around him impulsively. His face was settled into a scowl rivaling Vegeta's on his worst days and his fists were clenched tightly at his side. He had not flown in nearly five years and was rusty as hell, but the current state of his mind mind made up for it: pissed and worried as hell.

Goten and Trunks had not come home when they were supposed to and Gohan knew the little urchins would not risk the insanely terrifying wrath of their mothers. His chi sensing ability had faded to almost non-existent but he still knew and remembered what happened when Dragonballs were used... the darkness and the brain-exploding powerlevel and presence of Shenlon.

Gohan landed with a thud on the Kami's Lookout, breaking the white tile under his foot as he used more power than necessary to land.

" Dende! Piccolo!" he shouted and ran to the entrance as the two Namekujins appeared from the darkness of the hall way. Efore Gohan even had time to open his mouth Piccolo spoke up calmly: " We know, Gohan. Shenlon was summoned not so long time ago. Four hours I believe. What took you so long?" Piccolo's voice held slight resentment for his pupil's slow reaction time and Gohan blushed faintly.

Gohan looked down and mumbled something completely incomprehensible and Piccolo nodded, understanding. Dende shook his young head slowly also understanding what the young demi-Saiyajin had been doing. ( Not that! You hentais!)

" Shenlon was summoned and Goten and Trunks are missing. We can immediately make a connection there," Dende started slowly, pondering and rewinding his godly memory of the events.

" But how?" Gohan asked desperately, " Goten and Trunks have no idea of Dragonballs, their legend and magic or our past whatsoever! How could they ever have gotten the Dragonballs in the first place!"

" I have no idea, Gohan. This can't be coincidence either. Someone of us told them or it slipped as a joke and they believed it," Piccolo suggested, " But then again, how they could have collected the spheres! They're not able to do it in any circumstances..."

" But they did. It was them," Dende said, now reliving the situation in his mind precisely, " I can see them summon the Dragon King..." he continued, eyes closed, antennas twitching in concentration.

" But how!" Gohan repeated again. There was no telling what the demonic duo was up to or what was the life-threatening situation they were in right now. Those two were magnets of trouble; childish and slightly selfish as kids tend to be at that age and absolute princes of the prankster kingdom! Gohan sighed.

This required some detective work it seemed.

" Fine. We'll try to find out what happened and what they wished for before Bulma or Mother get a whiff of this, okay?" Gohan ran his hand trough his black, wild hair and ready to take off, Piccolo right on his heels.

" Wait Gohan! Whatever the wish was it was powerful enough to require the power and magic of two wishes combined! That we know for sure!" Dende announced before the semi Saiyajin and the Namekujin had the chance to fly off to start the task.

" WHAT!"

What had the little demons gotten themselves in... Gohan was beginning to fear the worst.

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Goten let out a huge yawn and he scratched his head sleepily. A harsh but comfortable fabric was pressing against his cheek as he kept his eyes closed, trying to hold onto the dream of delicious food and all the toys in the world he could want. Strangely enough, his whole body was aching slightly, but not enough for it to be actual pain. Funny... my sheets do not smell or feel like this... the little half-Saiyajin thought confusedly.

Goten opened his eyes and was met with orange and yellow flow of a fire. Otherwise it was dark and scary around him. His small hands gripped the grass reflexively and surprised. This wasn't his room! Goten looked around panicking. Where was he? His frantic eyes quickly found Trunks' sleeping form and Shadow in cross-legged sitting position, prying the fire with a stick, not noticing him wakening.

Oh yeah... He and Trunks made a wish... the horrible place... and the mystery quite-anti-hero man with katana...

Goten calmed down remarkably and jabbed Trunks couple of times to wake his friend up. He didn't want to be alone even if the man was ally in this horrible situation. Trunks groaned and turned his side lazily and continued his slumber. Goten pushed the lavender-haired boy again, this time harder. Trunks opened his blue eyes irritated and mumbled something that sounded like: " No mom... I wanna sleep... no breakfast yet... I still have so much to life for..."

He jerked to full awareness suddenly and looked around the space they were occupying; his memory catching up to what was going on.

" Awake I see, brats." Shadow said not turning his gaze on them and just staring the fire indifferently, dressed in black, the scarf around his face like always.

" How did you know!" the boys blurted out in unison, totally awed at this. Goku shook his head. Children, so easy to impress...

" I just know, besides, the noise ya two kept while ya woke ya would have alerted a deaf person here," he stated and a small twinkle of amusement flashing in his coal black eyes. Two mouths formed an 'o' and they nodded dumbly. Why the man couldn't ever explain something like: " It was my finely tuned warrior's sixth sense and your magical oscillation frequencies sent me a warning." or something like that. Trunks frowned; the man was so logical and modest with no boast of his abilities. He meant that of course Shadow had to have some surviving abilities to able to live in a place like this: Hell.

Trunks wondered what crime did the man commit to be sentenced to Hell...

" Hey! Mr. Shadow! Why it's still dark here!" Goten asked brightly, scrambling closer to fire taking the cape with him. Trunks followed quickly and wrapped the other half around himself: he just realized it was friggin' freezing.

" It's still nigh' here. In Hell, the day and night consist of thirty six hours out together; day lasts twelve hours and nigh' the rest twenty four. You slept for fifteen hours and it's still around ten to go before morning and we can continue our journey to get you home. And I said drop the mister stuff," he explained. They boys nodded and looked cutely thoughtful at the whole concept of thirty six hour day. It felt funny to be explaining these things; normally the victims just prayed all time to get home, not showing any kind of interest towards the place they were stuck in. Though how much exactly you want to know about a land that wants to fry and eat you alive...

" Okay... Then what crime did you commit to end up in Hell?" Trunks asked innocently and Goku almost choked on his own spit.

" W-what?" he spluttered.

" Yeah! Only bad guys go to Hell, we know that. That's why you should be good boy and always obey your mother!" Goten chimed in and Trunks nodded furiously to make his point. Goku almost sweatdropped and fell over. Bulma and ChiChi really were playing ' best moms' up in the living realm. Maybe it would be better to little widen their horizon of ideology.

" So what crime did you do?" Trunks repeated eagerly. He had never met more intriguing person and wanted to know more.

" I didn't commit any crime; expect maybe for killing but that was out of necessity. I fell in here like ya two did and well... I'm stuck and damn that sucks the big time." Shadow frowned and saw both pairs of eyes beginning to fill with questions.

" Killed? How can killing not to be crime? It's a really bad thing! Is that why you can't leave yourself?" Trunks blabbed Goten almost echoing his questions after him. Goku sighed exasperatedly.

" It's better for me to start from the very beginning... First this is Hell, not HFIL; they're two extremely differing places yet quite the same. The both are created for the same meaning, only in different stages. HFIL(Home For Infinite Losers) is where bad people in general are sentenced and after they have suffered and atoned for their sins enough they go trough the washing machine to be purified and reborn in life to have another chance with no memory of their previous life. Heaven is pretty much same; only you can choose if you want to be reborn or not. New souls are born whole time and old fade out of existence. Then again Hell is a place that was created to contain the worst demons and evilness. Even Enma Daiou, the King of the Death and the judge of good and evil cannot help you or take you away from Hell, only HFIL.

Hell is he place where all evil is born and it seeps out of it contaminating the mortal realm, but vice versa Heaven glows with overflowing goodness that also affects people. The evil and good are in balance. Always are; to disturb that balance needs a lot but it always fill fix itself with any means even if it sometimes takes hundreds, thousands of years.

To be condemned to Hell you really need to be pure epitome of evil. Accidentally, people usually confuse Hell and HFIL and various of them are thrown here and I help them out of here. You see there's a loophole in here: the dimensional rip between all worlds and Hell. That is your way home.

The reason I cannot return to my world is for I am bound to this place. I was the first fallen one ever to survive alive from clutches of the demon-ogres, those fucking bastards. They bind my soul to this realm and I cannot escape before I personally kill the warlock that cast the spell. I haven't yet managed 'cause he is too much guarded and powerful for me to take on like this. I'd need my full power and abilities to succeed. I haven't had that much time to even try. I've been rescuing people so long as I've been here. Some survive some become lost and lose their minds to wickedness...

I am not not dead either. I am just as much alive as you two. I didn't commit any crime; I saved lives in my world." Goku finished quietly. The fire crackled. Questions had died in their eyes.

" But that's unfair!" Goten whispered, sounding sad.

" Life is."

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**A/N: **I hope this satisfies you for awhile! Next chapter will be filled with more M rated stuff and action! REVIEW! (O.O) Notice huge pleading puppy dog eyes... ( Reader run away horrified by the intense, unblinking and unnerving stare)


	7. Chapter 6: Blood of revenge

**A/N:** Hello there! Here's the next chapter! Thanks for your wait everyone! I love your reviews!

**Warning:** Bloodshed and bad language; traumatization.

**Disclaimer:** Me no own! Waah!

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**Chapter VI – Blood of revenge**

Vegeta sat his eyes closed, hovering just inches above the grassy ground that covered most of the Capsule Corporation compound. His face was that of concentration and he could have been made of stone at the moment, so still he was. The air rippled around and a faint blue glow surrounded him gently like a fine silk sheet.

He was meditating. Something really unusual for him to focus on his inner powers and self, rather than brushing up his physical skills and chi control in the Gravity Room. The Saiyajin prince had felt the disappearance of the two boys and the summoning of the dragon, though worried he didn't feel that kind of apprehension that would be normal to feel in a situation like this for the duo. Instead he was feeling like there was something looming in the horizon; something that would change everything yet again... unidentifiable and dangerous. The feeling he got when he trained for the androids and later for Cell that changed yet everything...

Something or someone that didn't necessarily need chi and challenged more on the mental side that on physical. Pain he could handle incredible amounts, but direct mental torture was different and he needed to strengthen his mind and it's protective walls. His battle instincts had never been wrong before and the fight with Cell that had caused Kakarotto to perish had felt wrong from the very beginning and he had the similar feelings and emotions running about his mind.

Everything had gone to hell that day.

But Vegeta, despite his gloomy mood at the uncertain future, couldn't quite explain why he was smirking, but somehow he knew that those two hellions would be safe. The green bean and the first brat that were now flying around with distressed chi signals could be no help for the boys anyway...

He wondered would Gohan be brave enough to announce to her banshee mother that her precious youngest son was missing and there was no way to find him or know if he was dead or alive? Not a chance in fucking million years! He chuckled dryly, closing his eyes and went back to meditation.

Somewhere and somehow, somebody was taking good care of the boys; he just knew that.

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The sun was settling as Gohan sat at the end of the Kami's lookout, his feet hanging over the edge and he reclined on his hands, staring at the scene below. White clouds, now dyed gentle yellow as the sun was setting at his side and the ground far underneath the floating palace, was only mess of different shades of green and brown. The height didn't make him dizzy and normal being would have already fainted or toppled over as their sense of height and balance would completely shut off itself.

For the first time in years Gohan had finally time to think thoroughly or he finally allowed himself to do so.

After Cell and his father's death everything had gone to hell. Literally. Figuratively. Practically. Gohan didn't know what was the worst in his life at the moment but he guessed the most of the misery span to that same bastard... That same bastards that forced his mother to marry after Goku was lost and the same asshole that cared rat's ass for him and Goten and the only thing that interested him was the huge amount of money and treasure ChiChi would inherit from Gyo Mao when he passed away and the kingship of Ox Kingdom...

Prince of some foreign country, Gohan hadn't bothered to find out what the country was called or where was it's location.

ChiChi had been so depressed after Goku's death that her mental resolve was easy to break and convince he could afford a stable and healthy environment for her boys and she had accepted, hoping for better for her boys... Gohan's anger rose as he thought of the man that had robbed them of their freedom. Gohan was supposedly a prince and so was Goten and ChiChi a queen, but they were nothing else than trophies and show and their freedom was very limited... Gohan wasn't quite sure if his mother was abused in way or another, but he had seen bruises marring her face with his keen Saiyajin vision she tried to hide with make up and he suspected that the bastard had even raped her.

He still remembered the time when he told ChiChi that her husband was dead; she had denied it and still denied it to this day. She kept telling them how he was not dead, only gone, but not dead and Gohan guessed it was her way of coping with. The circumstances surrounding Goku's death were still dusky. Not even Kaiou-sama knew what had happened to him; like the eternity itself had swallowed him. Disappeared. Vanished. No trace left. Even King Yemma didn't have clues what had happened to Goku and even the dragon couldn't bring him back...

The Cell came sure had had it's impact.

ChiChi and Bulma were both adamant on not teaching even a simple punch to Goten and Trunks and they hadn't even told them that they were half-alien children with super powers. Gohan's own opinion on the matter was conflicted; the coward's side of him agreed while his other side protested wildly. To everyone's surprise Vegeta didn't say a word or argue back. He too was shaken of the Cell Game's events.

Gohan wondered almost daily what happened to his father... he still had felt his spirit with him, though none of the Z gang believed him, when Cell was finally obliterated into smithereens an after that the connection had been cut off. Where he was? Would he ever come back and kill that ugly bastard and claim his mother as his again?

Gohan could only hope as cold chills unexpectedly ran down his spine leaving him anxious and worried.

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The first marks of light began to peek in to the serene cavern after the night and Goku shook away the boys who had slept some more after spending time with him around the fire. Goku splashed water from the crystal clear pond and put out the fire as Goten and Trunks groggily dragged themselves up, complaining whole time. Goku tuned out their bantering duo and quickly gathered their equipment and was ready to leave, the dimensionally magical water container safely in his little backpack/ survival kit.

He pushed the half-Saiyajins away from his cloak they had been sleeping on, smoothed it little and then threw it over his shoulders.

" Are we leaving, Shadow?" Trunks queried and stood up poised, Goten following him looking worried and scared. They had to leave this wonderful place and go back into that burning heat and barren desert to fry up? Shadow nodded in affirmative and fastened his katana on his back and the turned to look at the boys.

" Yes, we're leaving. The faster I can get you outta here the better."

" But... but!" They protested, they didn't want to go out there! The horrible feeling and the call of death so enticing and clear... they shivered. It horrified them to the core of their young souls. The rugged man gave them a look; something akin sympathy, yet it glared at them to suck it up.

" Feh... we leave. Now. We can't afford to have this place discovered by the demon-ogres for then I have no place seek shelter myself later on if they find this and contaminate is..." he left the thought hanging in the air, half-sounding like a threat to the boys. To have this beautiful place diseased by demons and evilness? Never! Goku watched almost impressed as the little urchins gathered themselves up.

" Now... let's go!" Shadow ordered sternly, taking their hands and leading them outside from the cavern and making sure none other being of Hell was nearby. The trio entered the slightly cool outside and Goku set a fast pace towards the secret rift between dimensions. He could feel its steady and hidden pulse in the air, flagrant to him but unnoticeable to everyone else.

The sun of all sins rose to its peak fast, the black vortex pounding in the red sky and Goku told them to completely ignore the phenomenon of evilness; that would ease their feelings and beings greatly. They traveled for few hours in silence for their rescuer had told them to shut the fuck up so not to attract any of the demons or other even worse beings, the company of others only safety measure in Goten and Trunks' minds. The little group inly stopped when Shadow offered then mouthfuls of water every half an hour and checked their condition. Their skins were showing signs of adapting to the new glare of different light.

Suddenly Goku stopped and looked worried and the pint-sized troublemakers looked up at him, wondering what was the reason of the stop. Didn't the man himself say that it would take approximately week or two to complete their little road trip? Why stopping now, then? He seemed to be concentrating on something and his eyebrows lowered into a hard look.

" Shit!"

That was it. There was absolutely no avoiding it. Goku only hoped the boys wouldn't be traumatized by this... he cringed inwardly. This was just peachy; the thing he had wanted to avoid most was happening. Normally a scuffle with demons would be pleasurable thing to do, but not when he was having 'guests'.

" What is it?" Trunks croaked very lowly, looking around and seeing nothing, but he definitely didn't dare to look up...!

" A fight. We're going have to fight. I am gonna have to fight, to be precise..." he growled.

" A fight?" Goten asked him, eyes wide, looking around wildly but like Trunks he didn't see a thing. " I don't see anyone to fight here."

Shadow got a dark look to him under his black scarf and laughed mirthlessly.

" Oh they are there... I hoped we could have avoided this, but this is inevitable fight and all I ask you to do is to stay motionless with closed eyes no matter what happens! Understood?"

" Ooh.. so we don't disturb you? Right? You require a perfect concentration, right?" Trunks babbled enthusiastically to him but was silenced by Goku's dark glare, alight with dark humour and knowledge.

" No. It's for your own good. So you don't get disturbed for life," Shadow explained wryly as Goten and Trunks exchanged glances, not really fully comprehending the situation. Goten's eyes got huge and scared, abruptly.

" Wait! That means you have to let go of our hands and the bad feeling will come back!"

Goku grimaced mentally. " I'll stay close and you're safe and sound if you do as I say! Now!" he hissed, now losing his patience as he felt those disgusting creature's approaching them. He could almost feel their eagerness to taste living flesh and drink their blood... Goten and Trunks quickly obeyed, curling into small balls, eyes closed.

The sand burned them and the horrible feeling of choking on one's own emotions came back, not with as much force as before for Shadow was close and kept the pressure away. Trunks heard the katana sliding out almost soundlessly of it's sheath on the man's back and he felt his pulse increase as his excitement and fear grew. He was blind, burning all over, sworn to keep unmoving... What was happening?

Something was wrong with the air. He smelt a stench of the demons, his nose remembering the scent from before. Was the opponent another repulsing creature like that? Or were there more of them?

"... what ever happens do not look or move..." Shadow whispered roughly and the boys gulped, not daring even nod.

Holding his katana poised and guarding, Goku glared at the group that now surrounded them, the children laying at his feet, unmoving, eyes screwed shut. He allowed himself a dark smile. Now this was a bastard he knew. The clan leader: big, fat and utterly evil being and definitely the most dangerous of the whole posse gathered around him.

" Sevahna-yarou..." he said simply under the hungry and lusty gazes of the demons. There were around fifteen of them and Goku knew this would be a real challenge to preserve three lives and take fifteen. The leader laughed, screeching.

" Kage no yarou... Shadow... I am positively surprised to find you alive and kicking... This time we will tear you apart, y'know... you persistent shit! The time in the dungeons just wasn't enough! I just love a hard patient and you know that!" the creature laughed and Goku tightened his grip on the sword. He would not let this unholy shit to manipulate him into a reckless attack.

" You're dead."

" Oh...? Let's see if you've gotten anymore skill since the last time...! Considering your handicap Kage no yarou I think not!" the leader taunted, sharp yellow canines showing with its evil smirk and the group faithfully laughed with him and Goku could feel the children shivering at his feet. With a yell the ugly leader charged, his camaraderies following him in suit, all reaching for him or the 'two snacks' on the ground.

His katana flashed and several arms were severed and first screams filled the air and the ugly black-red blood splattered. Goku could only thank his luck these demon-ogres didn't belong to the clan whose blood melted everything when spilled. He didn't ponder his luck father as he dodged on razor sharp claw swing, grabbed it and used a basic martial artist throw and the ugly red beast was flung into its comrades, yelling in pain as its hand broke in many places.

He spun around in an arch his blade flashing as it bid into flesh, ripping it from bones. Shower of blood spilled from the open wounds, drenching Goku and the boys who jerked at the sudden warm wetness; it was sticky and it smelt if coppery and iron. Goku jumped and made somersaults dancing around Goten and Trunks in a deadly dance as screams of the dying echoed in his ears as he kept those hungry assholes away. This was one of the bastards that made his life a total nightmare and haunted his thoughts in the emptiness...

With a scream of rage, he exploded into a fury of slices and stabs.

Trunks couldn't take it anymore: all the screams and the sticky liquid on him he wished dearly that it was not blood. The conversation from the earlier still sounded in his mind. He opened his eyes and was met with a sight he'd never forget. Shadow was standing in front of them his sword raised, ready for another attack wave, bathed in blood of the demons. Off sliced body parts littered the sand area and it was black and red from all the blood. Enraged screams of the dying demons in pain; they rolled around in mad rage; in desperate attempt to cause even one wound on Shadow.

" Trunks..." he heard Goten whimper and guessed he too had opened his eyes, but he could not tear his blue eyes away from the scene of bloodshed.

The remaining demons charged again, madness evident in their glowing eyes. Shadow yelled a sharp kiai, a blue flash blinding them for a second and another two demons were dead, cut in half, their insides dropping with a sickening, wet splash sound. The battle raged around them and they could only stare in horror as Shadow danced evading the sharp claws and crude axe strokes by hairs-breadth giving back with the same ferocity.

" KAGE NO YAROU!" The leader screamed with such hatred that Goten thought he'd die from the shear fear it it were directed at him alone. And it was cut off with one clean swing of the blade. The silence dropped from the sky like a heavy cold mattress, Shadow solidified in his finishing strike position. The leader looked dumbfounded for a second before understanding crept into its face and mind. A thin cut appeared around its neck and in a next second it was flung off and the body fell with a heavy thud.

Goku humphed and cleaned his katana off the blood with a one fast swing and sheathed it. Indifferently he surveyed the scene and snorted again, unaffected. With a heavy and satisfied sigh he turned to Goten and Trunks who were covered in specks of blood and staring with wide, glassy eyes at him. Goku closed his eyes in pain of the situation.

Slowly he knelt and gathered their shaking forms in his sinewy arms, not caring if he was drenched in blood.

" I told you not to look; not to open your eyes," he murmured and stroked their heads soothingly. The duo could only sob silently still shocked what they had seen.

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Review, kudasai. This was one sad chapter. More will be revealed in the future! I told you at the beginning this was a dark fic.


	8. Chapter 7: The beast

**A/N:** Hello there! My writing program crashed and I don't trust Notepad so I had to fight with my laptop quite while... this chappie would have been up a week ago if not for that! But thanks for all of your lovely reviews! Avidgokufan: it will be soon revealed... don't worry! And I try to keep up the quality of this fic for you guys! I am little sick at the moment (cold and fever), so bear with me if there's anything not making sense in this chapter. Warnings are still valid!

**Disclaimer:** No matter how much I sneeze it won't bring the rights of DBZ to me...

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**Chapter VII – The beast**

Goku soothed the distraught children the best he could, ignoring the blood and the dead demon-ogres surrounding them. Goten and Trunks' bodies shook with sobs, tears squeezing from their tightly shut eyes as he held them. He sighed heavily. This was not what he wanted them to experience but it had come to the point of being unavoidable event.

" I told you to keep your eyes shut no matter what..." he gently chided and sighed again and the boys only sobbed harder. All that blood; screaming and violence would probably haunt them rest of their lives. But then again... they were also half-Saiyajins and Saiyajins being a warrior race had natural mental capability and psyche for handling such gruesome things. Goku's mind reasoned that he wouldn't be as sane as he was now if not for his Saiyajin mind, capable of getting over battle traumas.

Small hands twisted into his black gi top, holding for dear life. Their sobs had decreased from fat sobs to small hiccups and whining.

Hardening his mind, Goku rose up to his feet, the duo securely tucked against his chest, supported by his arms. He glanced around: the shadowless and barren landscape reached out, the scene of massacre like a red stain in middle of it all. The black vortex-sun embraced by blue corona warmed the dead bodes fast and they were already starting to stink badly. They needed to get out of here and clean up immediately! They were all covered in blood and in the odor of death!

There were other kind of creatures than demon-ogres in Hell that posed formidable opponents and the scent of freshly spilled blood would attract at least one of them very soon. Not to mention the ever-growing smell of recent kill ready to be devoured and Shadow didn't want to be there when the vile beast appeared... It would cause more bloodshed and probable death for them all.

And Goku didn't intend to let Vegeta's and his own son die like that!

He quickly started jogging away from the battle site; already feeling the predators heading for their direction.

" Shit..." he muttered, now completely focused on escaping the new threat. Goten and Trunks had both fallen asleep as the stress and shock had worn away their minds and bodies. Faces tear-streaked, dusty and bloody the looked like the very manifestations of calmness; a calm before the storm that is... Goku cursed again, taking a quick sip of the magical water bottle. His only option seemed to be running until he could outsmart them or prepare for better defense... He could only hope that the fifteen dead demons were more interesting that him, Shadow, the most hated person in the whole Hell by its every other resident and he was also constant thorn in their side... not the best possible place in society and neighbourhood at the moment.

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Darkness swam around it, surrounding it, embracing it, more importantly, imprisoning it and that made the angry creature none too happy. The creature was no happy camper before so the limits of his anger were about to reach completely new heights. After years of containment, 406 years to be exact, the chains were finally breaking it was finally going to be free... Sweet scenes of spilled blood and revenge on those who had imprisoned him so long ago invaded its half-awake mind and boggy consciousness before uncontrolled anger filled its ever sense and fibre.

The chains were weak alright, but there just had to be a fucking back-up emergency plan! Dark thick liquid, almost air-like, but not even close surrounded its body, but that too was weak of the lack of magic to uphold it, but it still hindered his escape greatly. And it just pissed it off when things didn't go his way! Then abruptly the creature smiled pleasantly and another small crack penetrated the darkness. Soon... it almost purred in delight. Only few pitiful days and he'd be free...!

And what were few days after four hundred years of waiting and sleeping?

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" Oh bloody hell..." Goku groaned as he was forced to slow down his running gait to a slower jogging one. He had been running now hours straight with extra weight and his endurance was reaching its limits swiftly. Goku knew better than let his endurance and energy drop too low because the he'd have none to fight with and more less, start a fight with.

But the lost Saiyajin supposed he was lucky. There was only one beast after him and random other carnivores were eating the feast he had unwillingly prepared for them and they would scam back into their holes to lurk after eating and come back when the night fell. Goku hoped the beast would give up on them and that he wouldn't run into any patrolling demon groups. He grudgingly admitted to himself that this was the deepest pile of shit he had managed to get himself this far in his whole life.

After minutes flew by it was becoming flagrant that the predator wasn't going to give up on his lunch and the man heaved a frustrated sigh. Any other day, with any other 'clients' as his weighing stone he would have been glad of such confrontation between him and the predator, but not with Goten and Trunks with him. As impossible as it was he had managed to rescue two people in the vast universe that he would give his life for! The Hell had roughened him from the edges and there sure was nothing innocent and naïve about him anymore: something he found himself regretting greatly.

The scene started to change from desert to more rocky and his hopes soared slightly. Quickly finding somewhat protecting and easy-to-defend rock formation he shrugged off his cape, laying it on the ground and spreading it over the razor sharp rocks and burning hot sand. Carefully he placed the boys on it; they'd be safe as it could get. Placing the water bottle next to the boys Goku tightened his scarf over his face and adjusted his katana into better position. This was as much as he could do at the moment and the Saiyajin found once again himself wishing that the boys wouldn't wake up and succumb to the vortex's influence...

Let the beast come.

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Goten groaned and opened his eyes into slits, feeling tired and hot. His throat was slightly parched and his skin exposed to the deadly sun ached from the burns. He could feel the heat radiating in waves all around him and groaned again. He was scared to open his eyes fully; he'd only see those mutilated corpses and blood... Kami-sama! There was so much blood!

The little boy gulped, afraid.

... but why he was laying on something rough, but soft at the same time? What about Mr. Shadow? He sprung up immediately, severely surprised that the landscape he stared at wasn't that of recent bloodshed he had witnessed. Forgetting momentarily of his miserable condition the little spiky-haired kid looked around, astounded. Trunks was sleeping right besides him on what Goten thought he recognized as Shadow's cloak. His weird bottle of water (Goten still didn't get how that small thing could contain seemingly riverful of water) was also with them. But where was Shadow?

Had he left them?

Goten felt fear creep into his mind and almost burst out crying at the scary thought! He'd better wake up Trunks! The older boy would know what to do! ...He hoped. Shaking his sleeping friend violently, hoarsely whispering his name. He didn't want to be alone...! To Goten's great relief Trunks woke up with a jerk, immediately fully awake.

" Huh? What's going on? Where's the blood? Shadow?" he slurred in some after effect of the shock.

" Mr. Shadow is gone! We're alone!" Goten almost cried.

" What?" the lavender-haired boy asked and looked around frantically for the mysterious man that had saved them.

" He's gone! He's gone!"

Panic began overriding Trunks' common sense hearing Goten repeat it over and over again. No! The man couldn't just leave them like that! Could he? He didn't seem like a person to leave someone he was protecting out of blue; he seemed cranky and weird but then again his father was Vegeta: notorious for being as bad as person can be, but deep inside he really was a good person and Shadow in some weird twisted sense was made out of the same wood.

His black cape. Water bottle. With them. Only the man himself was missing.

" Goten! Shut up!" Trunks yelled at him and the smaller half-breed shut up immediately, eyes wide. Trunks had never said anything so bad to him or in general; their mothers made sure of that.

" He... he has not left us, okay! He probably went to get food while we were sleeping! Why would he leave his most important survival equipment with us if he deserted us!"

" Oh... well, I was getting hungry anyways!" Goten smiled sheepishly and Trunks rolled his blue eyes. He was about to snap something mean he had heard Shadow mutter a day earlier when the ground shook briefly.

" Waah? What was that!" Goten asked and Trunks had no time to come up with an explanation as the ground shook again and a loud growl echoed somewhere near. The boys looked at each other the at the direction the sound came from. Ground shook and trembled and another roar was heard; this in an angry pitch.

" Whoa... let's check is out!" the older child said, sounding curious and excited. Goten nodded enthusiastically and they quickly took the cape and bottle and scampered towards the weird sound, their sense of adventure soaring high. The black vortex in the sky glowed inky darkness but the children paid no heed to it. Saiyajins are quick learners when it came to protecting their own life and existence: same tricks didn't work twice. Though on Goten and Trunks' part it was subconscious instinct not to look at the blood-red sky and the terror awakening sun. They had learnt their lessons already about that, but both silently wondering why the horrible feeling they had experienced didn't come back, but stayed as small prickle of warning at the back of their heads.

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Goku narrowly dodged the claw aimed to split him in half from the middle and it only ripped his gi top and little skin. With little grunt he flipped in the air, landing on a small stony level, his hand coming to hold his stomach instinctively, his katana firmly held in another and he parried swiftly incmoing swipe of the sword. The Saiyajin male produced a fierce scowl and slobbering Hell's beast. It was just so his luck.

The primal demon-beast stood nearly eleven feet in height with dragon-like head and muzzle, teeth dripping with slimy green saliva. The rest of it's body was covered in fur that was dirt and stained in Goku didn't want to know in what. Practically this being looked exactly like what would happen if a dragon and the

abominable snowman were to have deformed children together.

The creature looked like a bad insult to all that was intelligent, but looks as usual were deceiving. This particular giant held a huge broad sword in his hand and its intelligence was that of a genius. They creature knew that; Goku knew that and he cussed mentally at the fact. Despite this demons outer appearance, it was one of the toughest creatures ever born by some god forsaken mistake.

" Shadow shadow shadow..." it sighed dramatically, and Goku couldn't help but conjure up an image of 'highly misunderstood scientist'. _That's what they all say and the next thing they do is try to take over the world..._ he though dryly and assessed his own dire situation. The chase and the battle and worrying over the brats had worn him outconsiderably more than he liked to admit.

" Whatta hell do ya want, now there?" Shadow asked pompously, pointing his katana at the creature. It humphed and stretched it's clawed fingers.

" Always such difficult case to deal with... but I guess that can't be helped," it grinned what you could only say charmingly had it not been for the slobbering teeth and malicious glint in its cool, lifeless eyes. Only heat of massacre and torture would light the fire in them. Goku growled in response.

" And you ask what I want? Well, the same that every other in this rat hole does. Now really that was quite unnecessary question," it sounded almost disappointed and Goku fought against the reaction to roll his eyes. All these damn dragon-jeti demons were so damn literature and intellectual and it was so misplaced in a place like Hell that is made him want to hurl. But that was hell for you: a twisted place to the extremes.

" You can try," Goku said casually, "but you won't be trying if you don't dodge this, you motherfucker!" With a scream he attacked and sliced with his sword, wounding the off-guard beast on the shoulder as he passed it with a flying leap. Its eyes suddenly smoldered with red fire and scream tor out of its ugly mouth. Goku had barely time to dodge the blade and the air pressure threw off his balance in the air and sent him hurtling towards the unforgiving ground, that would shred him, burn him if he fell badly.

He had no time to think about petty landings as another deadly strike was on it's way. Blocking with utmost skill, he managed to land on his feet, barely regaining his footing as shower of flames were on their way and Goku was forced to throw himself out of way. The sand and small sharp pebbles hurt and scratched him, drawing blood. As he was not already dirty and stained with the substance; only this time it was his own.

The desperate cat-mouse play continued for what seemed eternity to Goku, who was fighting for his life now.

" If I only wasn't so fucking tired..." he grumbled bitterly and the earth shook under dragon-jeti's mighty strikes and attacks. Situations like these were surely the ones where the loss of his chi powers and Super Saiyajin ability hurt the most and and made him remember his previous life with bitter taste unfair fate. He side stepped sloppily and the blood in his hands was making the handle of his katana slippery.

Pesky realization was rearing it's ugly head. He wouldn't survive alive. He'd die and guess what? His soul would be stuck in Hell too; powerless and helpless with its new unaccustomed form and if he had even uglier fate rendering him into a tittering white puff... those bastards would eat him alive like cotton candy and poof! He didn't exist anymore! The end! Finito! Bye Bye!

No thank you... he still had so much unsolved problems and things to do in the actual living realm that many people combined with their big issues would think nothing of their own dilemmas and issues after hearing his! He didn't want to die yet! He wanted to see Gohan and ChiChi no matter how painful it might turn out! He wanted to get known to Goten and Trunks! He still wanted to spar with Kuririn, Piccolo and Vegeta... He still needed to strangle that bastard to death for marrying his ChiChi...

... but he wasn't going to survive at this rate.

But if that was to happen he'd have to fight to the bitter end! At least Goten and Trunks would have a small chance of survival now... a long as the stupid dragon-jeti bastard didn't get a whiff of them. A powerful punch to his chest threw him back many metres and Goku coughed up tiny specks of blood from the impact. " Shit!" He if someone should know not get distracted in a battle... His insides froze suddenly.

" HEY! MR. SHADOW! ARE YOU ALRIGHT THERE!"

_Oh fuck..._

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**A/N:** Woo! A small cliffy! Sorry if the fight scene was bad but my brain really can't come up with better one and I am too lazy to write decent one right now... and in my current opinion this is pretty shitty chapter... but! Next chapter should be out soon! And in the next chapter... There might be a grand discovery...! Muahahahaaa! Till then! JA NE!


	9. Chapter 8: Resemblance

**A/N:** Sorry this took so long, but inspiration was lost for awhile and my life was hell, still is, so here's the update! I love your reviews! Thank you so much for them!

**Disclaimer:** No no… no own…

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Chapter VIII – Resemblance 

His insides were ice just for a second before Goku was forced to dodge deadly claws of the dragon-jeti, who thought he had caught Shadow off guard. _Shit shit shit!_ Goten and Trunks were there! Those stupid little fools---! He felt the air pressure pass him along the claws and he instinctively slashed with his katana a counter strike, managing to wound the creature's hand. With angry yowl it pulled away, hissing.

"MR. SHADOW! CAN'T YOU HEAR US?" Goten and Trunks sounded together naively concerned about his health. Goku muttered string of curses under his breath and tightened his grip on the handle. For fuck's sake! The boys were still covered in blood and grime and now that they were on open the stupid creature would get their scent and follow them everywhere… unless he killed it that is.

The jeti-dragon hissed some more, its eyes finding the spot where two whelps were looking at him, eyes wide in astonishment and fear.

" Ah, Shadow… what do you have here? Little children? Aren't you being rude; why not introduce me to them, eh?" the jeti-dragon purred lasciviously and Goku glared murderously, breathing hard. He would not allow the stupid abomination to eat his protégées!

" Goten! Trunks! Get the hell away from here!" he shouted angrily, ignoring the beast, " I'm fine! Go away! Run!"

Goten and Trunks either didn't hear him or ignored him as they watched the beast incredulously and fearfully. It looked like gross mix between snowman and a dragon with mean look to it, wielding a huge sword on other hand.

Goku grew agitated, as the children didn't move an inch. " I SAID GO, YOU FOOLS! YOU'LL GET KILLED!" the lost Saiyajin yelled again leaping in front of the cliff protectively.

" Not so fast, Shadow! They're mine!" the creature smirked ugly and attacked him fiercely, eyes glinting eerily in the unholy sunlight. Goku grunted and leapt into air, swiftly avoiding the huge arch its sword drew in the air. Goku's eyes widened as the realization set in: it didn't aim for him but for the cliff that was behind him! And on top of that ridge were Goten and Trunks…!

" No!" escaped his lips as the sword connected with the stone, shattering it into crumbles and the cliff began falling down. Goten and Trunks screamed in fright as the sturdy ground suddenly began falling from under them. The noise filled the air as rocks clattered together loudly in the ear-breaking rumble. Goku landed on his feet farther away and immediately sprung back into movement, feeling the strain on his fatigued body.

" Goten! Trunks!"

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" Waah!" they screamed as they began to fall with the stones towards awaiting jeti-dragon. The creature stepped back so not to get crushed under the cliff and licked its lips hungrily. There was nothing better than fresh, young meat spiced with other demons' blood.

Trunks yelped painfully as he hit the scorching hot rocks and burned his shoulder and got a nasty bruise in the process. Faintly he heard Goten whine in pain, as he too was smashed to the stones while falling. His vision spun around in incomprehensible patterns accompanied by flashes of white as pain raked his body. They should have just left when Shadow said…!

The lilac top cried out as he finally fell flat on his face, the glass sharp gravel biting into his skin on his face and burning his skin. Ignoring the pain he quickly got on his feet, having learnt his lesson about the hot sand and gravel way earlier.

" Goten..!" he rasped and his blurred vision saw his friend crouching right next to him and rubbing his arm and gritting his teeth in agony.

" Trunks… Mr. Shadow…" the spiky-haired boy echoed in pain back to Trunks. He had never been in so much pain. He had thought the sunburn was bad but the Hell had just proved him wrong. There could be pain much worse than severe sunburn and few scratches. His eyes snapped open as he experienced a déjà vu from when he and Trunks first arrived in Hell.

The ugly creature attacking Shadow moments ago was looming over them, almost casually leaning over them, and leaning on its sword. The eyes so cold and malicious… Sadistic grin spread over the dragon-jeti's face as he surveyed his prize.

" Well well… should I thank Shadow that _kage no yarou_ for this generous meal offer…"

Trunks and Goten gulped in unison and they just hoped Shadow would show up and slice the stupid thing in two. The fear was back, freezing the blood in their veins and clogging their throats with invisible latch.

" Shut up, you motherfucker!" Goku bellowed belligerently and rushed towards the literate jeti-dragon his katana raised for a strike. With one smooth movement the beast flipped its sword and blocked Goku's katana and with sharp thrust and twist of his own sword threw the Saiyajin away easily. Goku stumbled back and tripped over a rock, falling on his back. He breathed hard, his body heavy as lead and the hotness hurting him. Cursing he forced himself to get up on his feet, taking support on his katana.

" Shadow!" The squirts whispered in fright and the demon-beast laughed in mirth and joy. Goten and Trunks covered and kept unmoving, glances jumping from Shadow's barely standing figure to dragon-jeti's hulking figure standing at least at eleven feet, sword raised threateningly.

" Oh poor luck, dear boys! Your protector is too tired to even stand up! You haven't been giving him a hard time, have you? Bad, bad boys…" the demon chided almost gently and Goten and Trunks almost fell for it, had it not been for the sinister gleam in its eyes. The half-Saiyajin children were beginning to realize that no goodness expect for Shadow existed in Hell and the probability of dying was al ways present.

" Ah, poor Shadow… been protecting you, risking his life, endurance and soul for you… it all just makes it more pleasurable… finally being able to conquer the Hell's angel and combat genious…" the demon continued casually like he was having tea with couple of lady friends.

" Shut. It." Goku growled and took a shaking step forward, his trembling hand clutching his faithful katana in death grip. " You won't have them! I swear it to my word and you know my word keeps!"

" Oh please…"

Goten watched the exchange between the two, mouth gaping open. Shadow and the horrible monster kept talking with veiled speech to each other and Goten noted how horrible Shadow was looking. His clothes were in shreds and covered in fresh and dried blood. He was dusty and sweaty and looked like he was standing only because he willed so. The mask covering his face was almost like glued to his face. Battered, tired and given his all for them.

Goten snapped out of his thoughts as the mysterious man suddenly lunged at the demon-beast. The jeti-dragon let out a short laugh and lazily parried again the oncoming slash, but was severely surprised when Shadow suddenly dropped low under his sword and thrust his sword cruelly into its mid-riff, smiling darkly.

Its face contorted in anger and agony. "How…!"

Goku smirked, " Easily. You jeti-dragons always talk too much and rely friggin' too much on your 'superior' abilities…!" The beast roared with laughter.

" True, _kage no yarou_, true! But as always people underestimate us too!" the demon-beast spat out gleefully and painfully inhaled Hell's dry air.

" What---!" Goku's charcoal eyes widened in realization as the wound began glowing in fiery white and yellow. The Sayajin wrenched his katana out and backed away tiredly and frustrated. Self-destruction. Now where he had seen this before? Goku snorted ironically at the sardonic thought, as the light grew brighter. He knew they couldn't get away from the blast on time no matter how fast they ran…

" Fuck fuck fuck!" he cursed and noted Goten and Trunks looking with bright and fearful eyes at the weird phenomenon taking place. No matter… he'd had to try. Scooping the boys up with one graceful movement he threw his sword away as he really didn't have any time to sheath it and began running the best his over-fatigued body could take.

" You're gonna die, bastard!" the jeti-dragon screamed shrilly and cackled manically as his body now was strung high as a bow and glowing bright yellow. An unholy wind picked up forming a pillar of maelstrom around the creature. Goku cursed and stumbled forwards, Goten and Trunks tucked under his arms. They didn't know whatta heck was going on, but judging from the whirlwind and exploding light it wasn't good.

" Shadow!" Goten shrieked in terror as the wall of the pressure wave approached them lightning fast. Moments later a deafening boom was heard and everything went white. The surreal feeling encased them as the trio was flung off their feet into the air. For a moment they floated peacefully and then the real wave of energy hit them, making them scream in pain.

Goku held on the little urchins like drowning man on life ring, fighting not to lose his grip. His body screamed for rest and his eyes just didn't want to keep open anymore, despite the pain and the horrible noise almost making his ears bleed. Subconsciously his sixth sense felt the life of the demon burning away and the radical change the area of Hell went through…

He couldn't stay wake anymore… he hit the ground painfully and rolled over the boys to shield them from the detonated blast. His consciousness and mind decided it was enough and he was left in darkness the last thought damn it was a good katana that one.

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Goten looked around with serious frown marring his young face, which was covered in dust and blood. His cuts and bruises stung and ached terribly but he couldn't bring himself to care or say anything about how uncomfortable they were. Everything was flat and shiny. The sand had melted into glass, some bigger rock formations still lumps jutting out of the glassy ground.

Trunks met his black gaze with his own blue hues.

Touching the ground tentatively he felt the smooth and flawless surface. It was hot and he snatched his hand away. Everything gleamed in the unorthodox light proving their existence.

They were alive. And that was something they didn't expect to happen. After Shadow had carried them away and the blast had caught them everything was pain and weird surreal feeling before the mysterious man's body had come to shield them. Minutes passed by as the noise went away and they were met with glass field.

" Trunks… Shadow is… is he?" Goten bit his lip nervously, tears threatening to spill from his eyes. The black-haired man was lying on his stomach on the ground; a small patch of sand still remained under him. He was knocked out and looked more dead than alive with his back burnt raw and bloody.

" I dunno! But we gotta help him!" Trunks told the younger boy firmly, though his voice shook just a bit.

Working together they as gently as possible rolled the man over on the glass, trying to ignore the blood. Quickly checking his pulse, Trunks sighed in relief. Shadow was alive. Goten was happy and Trunks was sceptical just how much longer he's managed to stay in the books of living. Both boys couldn't help but admire him.

" Gah… he's heavy… how can he be alive? We shouldn't be alive after a thing like that! Just how tough is this guy!" the older boy mused as they sat helplessly by the man's side.

" Hey Trunks! Look! His mask is off… I wonder what he looks like…" Goten crawled closer to take a look at their rescuer's face. Goten gasped in shock! Trunks crawled by his friend and he too gasped, upset. The man's hair was no longer on ponytail but wildly sticking to every direction just like Goten's hair did. His headband was also lost along his mask. A thin scar went horizontally across his nose and his face was strong and mature-looking. What shocked them was the fact that he looked exactly like Goten; only an older version of him.

" Trunks… he looks like me…" Goten whispered amazed and Trunks could only frown and stare in astonishment.

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**A/N:** Here's the chappie this time! Personally I don't like it; it turned out to be somewhat crap but oh well... Hopely see ya soon! Review kudasai! I know ya wanna know more! JA NE!


	10. Chapter 9: Out of the bag

**AN:** I've been hooked to my PS2 and my dancing mat game lately so that takes my valuable updating time and I'm on semi-vacation already... Thanks a billion for reviews! You guys are awesome! Special Thank for Emi Sue! You really cheered me up! To **BinderR:** The reason why Goku is so easily wounded and 'weak' is because he doesn't have his chi anymore for Hell' blocks it and he only has his physical strength and speed. He can't boost his punches, speed or body with his chi. The reason why Saiyajins in particular are so tough is because of their high chi levels; chi protects the body and boosts the muscles etc. for greater capability in power. (Or at least that is how I have understood it by watching DB/DBZ/DBGT)

**Disclaimer:** No! I could travel around the universe and DBZ still wouldn't be mine! Waaah!

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**Chapter XI** **– Out of the bag**

" How can it be?" Trunks whispered and stared at the face that didn't change to anything else no matter how much he stared. Despite all the blood and grime and the tiny scar on the man's face it was complete replica of Goten's. The glass field glittered around them in complete silence, glowing blood red, reflecting the sky. The dark and unorthodox vortex loomed in the sky.

" How is this possible?" Goten asked, not understanding, " How can he have my face, Trunks! How?" The little half-Saiyajin was shocked beyond belief and his little mind had lot to cope with. Trunks frowned and poked the man they had come to know as Shadow on the cheek; a man who now carried Goten's face.

" I don't know, Goten..." the other boy replied just as confused before a wild thought occurred to him, making his little heart leap. Could it be...? He gasped and Goten looked at his friend worriedly.

" Or maybe... or maybe you have his face..." Trunks said slowly, looking intently at the hauntingly familiar face. Goten's eyes got wide.

" What? What are you saying? How that could be that!"(not a typo just little Goten speaking...)

" He's older than you, so it must be so that you have his face and not vice versa!" Trunks concluded triumphantly, satisfied with his ingeniousness.

" But how I could then have his face! And how come he looks very much like my big brother too!" Goten wanted to know, his face now set in stubborn expression over the topic. It was almost uncanny how much the man looked like Gohan too. Shadow continued lay there idle and unconscious: a state his over-exerted body much needed for rest. Goten's innocent question stopped the lilac-haired boy's train of thoughts and he too fell silent.

" Uhm...? I dunno..." Trunks admitted hesitantly after a while of pondering. He still remembered when he thought that the man reminded him of Gohan, but more powerful and confident version.

After sitting in silence for few more minutes they duo looked around. Red glass sea stretched out for miles. The sun was starting to burn their skins and hunger and thirst rearing their ugly heads. Shadow's warnings echoed in their heads. _Hell's a dangerous place... it wants to eat you alive. Even the environment; ground; sky; stones of the earth want to hurt you... see you suffer... demon's loving to see you as their meal... still alive while they eat your intestines... the day time is bad... but night... so much worse... worse than worst... everything is ice cold. Even demons start fires to keep the biting and demanding chill outside... at nights Hell's also their enemy... Hell is nobody's friend ever._

" Wah!" Goten yelped as the scorching hot glass surface suddenly burnt holes on his pants and signed his skin. He jumped on his feet quickly, Trunks following his example before he'd get burnt too. The direness of their situation was beginning to sink in. Their protector and guide was knocked out, weaponless, they had lost the cloak and the magical water bottle; the main thing that could keep them alive. All of their equipment must have perished when the dragon-jeti detonated...

Trunks turned to look at Goten, a horrible though in his mind. " Goten? Do you have any idea how much of the day has gone by... until night arrives?" His voice shivered as panic rose again. Goten realized what Trunks was implying and blanched despite the tan he was gaining in Hell's hot climate.

" Uh... ten hours?" he guessed. They both gulped, suddenly feeling so tired and worn.

" Shit!" Trunks spat out, a word picked from Shadow's extensive vocabulary along their journey. The boys grimaced at the slip and almost expected a screaming storm from their mothers for saying a curse word like that, but it didn't matter right now fortunate for the two urchins.

" I agree Trunks... total, complete shit..." Goten gulped and glanced at Shadow's prone form, hoping the man would wake the hell up soon! Answer their troubling questions, save them and just do something about everything!

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Gohan landed with a thud in front of the meditating Saiyajin Prince in the forest he had found him. The eldest half-breed glared hotly at Vegeta who only ignored him, hovering few inches above the ground; arms crossed and eyes gently closed. Gohan was first slightly surprised to find Vegeta in such calm and docile position, but his anger won quickly.

" Vegeta!" he hissed, " Goten and Trunks are missing! I know you know that and here you are..." he almost chocked on his rage for the prince's ignorance on the situation. Vegeta opened his right eye and peered indifferently at fuming Gohan. A smirk formed on his face.

" So, it still can fly..." Vegeta retorted snidely.

Gohan bristled up visibly and swallowed his fury that threatened to escape form his throat. Vegeta's smirk only widened and he continued his meditating. Gohan inhaled deeply few times to calm himself down and finally sighed tiredly.

" Look, Vegeta, Goten and Trunks found Dragonballs and made a wish that took the power of the second wish as well and now they're missing---"

" ---and completely fine," Vegeta cut the taller man off and opened his cola black eyes to glare indignantly at Gohan, who went speechless at this statement. Seeing his confused face, Vegeta growled exasperatedly.

" Brat, you think I don't know that? The woman made me collect the stupid magic balls few years back for safe keeping and stored them foolishly in her lab. The smaller brats obviously found them and they've heard many times you people, including you and me, telling stories about legendary Dragonballs and thei abilities. Children are curious of nature and of course they wanted to know if it was true legend we kept feeding them. Brats doubt but also believe almost everything they're told... Never underestimate the will and mind of a child. You if anyone should know that..."

Gohan growled, feeling the red hue of shame and embarrassment creeping upon his cheeks. " But they're missing...!"

" Idiot! Bakayarou! No in fucking shit? Are that afraid of the women's wrath? I take they still don't know..." Vegeta's over sarcastic and mocking voice sounded and Gohan cringed at the tone of it.

" You think I haven't noticed it? Can you sense them anywhere on this mudball, brat? Even your weak and pathetic senses should be able to tell you that! Heck! Those two aren't even in this dimension!" the Saiyajin prince continued with biting edge in his voice. Gohan's eyes widened.

" Not in this dimension...?"

" That's what I said! They're fine! As much in trouble as they get they're fine. We have far more important things to deal with at the moment that two missing brats!"

Gohan opened his mouth to say something against, but Vegeta's hand gesture stopped him on the spot.

" I know they're alright. They're in good hands, where ever they are. Do you think I'd sit on my ass in the air if my son really were in grave danger? My only heir and prince of the Saiyajin race? Instead, something is coming... I know you can feel it too. Don't confuse it with the anxiety and worry for the brats. You can sense it; your instincts tingling at the unknown... " Vegeta's voice faded and Gohan's face was narrowed into a slight scowl.

The words Vegeta spoke were true and he couldn't deny them. Closing his eyes, he came to painful decision. It would cost his mother more bruises but it had to be done. Vegeta watched curiously the boy's demeanour change, as feelings were displayed clearly on his face that was almost exact copy of Kakarotto's, not knowing what the boy was thinking through

" Vegeta, help me to get back into shape."

" WHAT!" Vegeta hollered, his concentration breaking and he fell on his ass on the grassy ground.

" I- I cannot run from it anymore! I have to face it, someday! I have to take the responsibility and face my fears; stand up for myself once in my life! I shouldn't have hidden from myself after the Cell Games... to deny my true nature and soul... it's time to fix years of continued mistake and cowardice!" Gohan declared hotly, almost crying. Too long he had been listening to his mother, who only thought of his best, but he realized now he had always known what was best for him but had not acted on it...

He loved studying but even greater part of him, his soul, and heart, loved fighting even more and ached for the thrill of speed and skill his body could demonstrate in a fight. And he owed so much for his father after all... he was almost adult and it was time he began to think for himself!

" Very well..." Vegeta smirked and suddenly Gohan got a painful chi blast square in his face that sent him flying into the woods. " Consider re-learning begun!"

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Goku swam in sea of confusion. He felt non-existent and light; like the limitations of the mortal realm or Hell didn't abide to him anymore. It was dark with stripes of deep purple swimming in psychedelic patterns all around. He felt free and purified after a long time of being damned and stained in Hell. The first days as a prisoner for the demons and their sick mind games that made him almost break mentally were washed away and the torture they put his mortal body through long forgotten... he had gotten away... the demon's had made a mistake of letting him live too long...

Too bad those mind games they had played Goku knew to be true... all the hate channeled to his mind... all the resentment... denial... his heart broken...

The first thing the retarded bastards had done was to bind him to Hell. To make him part of it just like they were, erasing his previous existence. Son Goku was only a name without meaning; the very reason why none could tell where he was. No Enma Daiou, King Kaiou nor even the Eternal Dragon Shenron could pinpoint his location after that.

Thus Shadow was born; his new persona replacing that of Son Goku. Same man and name; new location and existence. If he only could slay that warlock demon that had completed the ritual... When he had escaped he had promised to himself to find a way back and kill the bastards at the demon fortress he had been confined in at first. He would be free...

The dark matter pulsed around him and he felt pure... wearily his black eyes opened and his met with a sight that would become one of those he'd never forget. Something was wrapped into the weird substance. It looked darker than the vortex that hung above Hell, giving off such waves of negativeness that Goku almost puked.

No wonder he felt pure of himself! Everything was pure, innocent and clean compared to this thing.

Two blazing yellow eyes blinked open and Goku let out a scream of panic! It was the feeling! When everything had changed! The night when the wave had washed over the whole Hell's realm and he had felt it...! It wronged everything... So powerful mind... too great... too big...! His consciousness exploded with overload of the being's massive mental presence.

Like his lungs and ribcage had just caved in from a powerful blow, he gasped a deep breath and shot up.

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**A/N: **I hope you liked this chapter! More to come! Next chapter should be very interesting when Goku is forced to answer some questions... REVIEW KUDASAI AND JA NE!


	11. Chapter 10: Family heritage

**A/N:** Here again! I really have the spark to write this story at the moment! Thanks a billion for all the reviews! I just love you guys! Onwards!

**Disclaimer: **Old legend goes: Thou no own, but in hell thou can write fanfiction!

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**Chapter X – Family heritage**

He shot up into sitting position, shocked. Goku felt like someone had just dumped ten buckets of ice cold water on his body as he gasped for breath: black eyes wide open, yet unseeing. His lungs ached as he drew in sharp gasps of precious oxygen; dry and hot but still needed for living. All he could hear was the frantic thumping of his own heart and the whizzing of the blood that rushed in his veins and head almost painfully loud.

What the hell that creature was?

Slowly the feeling ebbed away and was replaced with a sensation on his body that only a cat got run over by a car, then got caught on fire and died in humongous explosion could identify and relate with. In short, he felt like total shit.

Goddamn, his back and head were killing him...

" Shadow...!" Goku suddenly became aware of two sobbing voices repeating his name and his eyes got their focus back. He was met with a pair of teary and relieved looking eyes, pair of blue and black ones, staring at him. Goten and Trunks were standing beside him looking absolutely relieved though slightly scared at his weird reaction when he had regained consciousness. They had cried his name but Shadow had only stared to nothingness, deaf to their pleads.

With a cry the boys flocked the lost Saiyajin, clutching him tightly. " You're awake! We thought you'd be a goner..." Goten wailed and hugged his mid-riff fiercely, afraid to let go.

Goku cringed in pain as the troublesome duo almost practically hugged the remaining life out of him. He ached and was sore all over with severe burns from the sand and the blast. Goku knew this immediately since the burns and aches caused by sand were very familiar to him; the self-detonation blast was almost like a chi blast and he was also used to chi burns and those were wound types you didn't forget easily.

Ignoring the pain his sinewy arms came to hold the boys soothingly. Absently he murmured calming nonsense and surveyed the landscape. Goku couldn't help but lift and eyebrow at what he saw. Everything glowed red; reflecting the disgusting blood color of the sky. The ground seemed to be flat and smooth with few rock foundations raising from the ground: also smooth-surfaced.

_Like glass... like the sand has melted in a great heat and turned to glass..._ he thought and brought his another hand to touch the smooth surface; like polished. His hand was burned, he snatched it away, as it was so hot, but there was no doubt of it: it was glass. Pure, fair glass. Goku noticed he was sitting on non-melted grovel about the size of his body and the small evil stones were digging into his ass nastily.

_The heat must have been extreme..._ Goku concludedalso pondering how they still were alive and realizing why his back hurt like hell. He had seen in earlier parts of his life a chi blast of high enough density to melt rock to glass and could only guess why they, he and the boys, had not been obliterated. His thoughts were interrupted by Trunks furious poking at his chest.

" Trunks... what?"

" The night! The night! It's soon gonna be night!" the elder half-Saiyajin boy cried and Goten nodded in emphasis. Shadow's eyes got wide for a moment before he spat such obscenities Goten and Trunks could only gape, upset. They didn't understand half of what he was saying, but it must been something really offensive.

" Shit!" he ended the tirade and glanced around wildly. Trunks guessed what the man was looking for and managed to look sheepish.

" Uhm, about the water bottle and the cloak and your tiny pack... they're kinda lost..."

" Lost?" Goku growled to himself, his mood darkening to pitch black, his scowl rivaling that of Trunks' father. Goten and Trunks panicked immediately at his tone of voice. Shadow was angry at them and that they didn't want!

" No! More like temporarily misplaced! We swear!" they blurted out in unison.

Goku only gave them a long look, knowing well that his prized and necessary equipment were ashes. _A practiced sentence of seasoned pranksters..._ Goku sighed.

" My sword?" the Saiyajin said to himself, knowing the faithful katana was lost forever. He gritted his teeth in frustration of it all; his fists clenched into tight balls. Wounded, stranded with nothing but their shredded clothes and the night approaching and fast.

Fucking great...

" Shadow?" Goten inquired hopefully.

" I'm not gonna lie to ya..." he answered honestly, " Our chances of survival were small in the beginning but now they're non-existent when we have nothing to survive with. The night is only an hour away... honestly, we're so goddamn fucked us we can be."

" But... but we can make it? Right?" Trunks pleaded, not pleased with the news he knew were true all along. Goku gave him a pointed glare and Trunks suddenly knew exactly what Goten would look like when he was mad. Goten piped up, sounding sad.

" It's our fault, isn't it? That you lost your stuff and katana... if we had only... if we had only obeyed, this wouldn't have happened in the first place... we might have survived..." The small boy looked down at his feet, feeling ashamed. Trunks looked away, a look of regret and shame etched upon his features too. They were on the verge of crying.

" Feh..." Goku only snorted sharply. There was no time for self-pity and dwell on the past that couldn't be changed at the moment and he wasn't angry at them. He had long ago come to accept the twists life threw at him. What good would bitching about life do if you didn't even try to do anything about it? What was done was done and you didn't get over, around or under the fact. _ Well, at least they know their mistakes and this won't happen probably ever again... negative experiences are the best, though most painful, teachers in life..._

" Shut up your bawling, damnit! What is done is done, got it! It can't be changed! I didn't say were fucken gonna die here! I just stated the situation and the probability charts and those stupid statistics never mean shit! We're gonna pull thru this shit, I am gonna get you back to your families no matter what! You can't change what you did, but you can always learn from it and not to repeat those mistakes!" he snapped at the boys, who listened eyes wide at his little speech.

Shadows crossed his arms and glared challengingly at the duo " The only question is now: Are you ready to fight for your lives and help me to get you out of here; obey my commands no questions asked?"

Goten and Trunks looked at each other, looking flushed and seeking support from one another under Goku's demanding, charcoal eyes. The eerie resemblance still bothered them both but now was no the time for questions. The air was already getting cooler...

" Well? What do you say!" he asked tightly.

" We...uhm...ah..."

" WHAT DO YOU SAY?" Shadow's voice boomed demandingly and in a split second the decision was made.

" HAI!" They echoed with determination. They were gonna make it! No matter what!

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It was already quite chilly, the black vortex on the sky almost invisible against the sky. Their faces were set in such determination that they could crumble the pillars of heaven if they wiled so. Goku's finely tuned senses pinpointed a small group of demons on patrol, probably sent from the head fortress to investigate the weird phenomenon transpired earlier.

It really didn't matter a shit to Goku at the moment why there were there. What mattered they were camped out, had all the things their little group of three needed for survival. Only five lesser demon-ogres, his senses told him and he smirked darkly. Easy business, really. Seven years ago he would have been horrified with himself; about to kill five beings on cold-blood. But those bastards really had it coming...!

His luck, their misfortune.

Goten and Trunks trod after him, trying to imitate his confident mood and set face. They had no idea what the man who possessed Goten's looks was up to but it had to be something rash. Trunks had a gravely hunch that it included such things as them closing their eyes. It was already freezing and he rubbed his arms vigorously to keep warm. The glass field had ended and the unfortunately familiar sharp grovel/sand mix was the ground under their feet.

Shadows halted and crouched down. He tip-toed forwards and the children exchanged curious looks, but decided to follow Shadow's example. Soon they noticed a yellow and warm glow of a campfire behind on dyne of sand, illuminating the darks sky. Goten realized his teeth were clattering in coldness and forced his jaw unmoving as adrenaline already warmed up his body. Something was gonna happen soon...

" Stay here," Shadow whispered vehemently. Trunks and Goten nodded, afraid of disobeying. They might end up with worse results than no survival equipment if they did: no Shadow.

With feline agility he soundlessly crossed the sandy dyne and considering his condition it was a miracle. Stinging in their wounds and cuts and soreness of their every muscle was making they boys want to whine every second.

They waited.

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Running down the dyne soundlessly, his eyes ablaze Goku attacked the unsuspecting demon group. These demon's were much smaller than the ones he was accustomed to dealing with and before the first sound of alarm was uttered, a blue-skinned demon, facing the fire, its back turned on Goku, was dead. Its neck was already broken by Goku's hooked kick.

" It's Shadow! Kage no yarou!" one of them yelled in panic, trying to find its weapon that lay nearby. It was silenced by a rock hard fist to face. It stumbled back while Goku whirled around to face three other demon-ogres, smirking boldly. No matter if he was weaker than them. Ever since he was a child he had been defeating people stronger than him. It was because of his uncanny ability to see past and through his adversaries techniques and basis behind their skills and it only helped that he could come up with a combat strategy in a nano second. And there were few techniques that worked on him twice...

With a shout he lunged forwards and nailed of of the three straight to face, caving its ugly nose completely in. Blood spurted and it screamed in pain and anger but Goku could care less as he had stopped another blue-skinned demon with a crushing kick to the throat. It fell on the ground, whining and wheezing pathetically, spitting blood, dying. Its panic-stricken partner hesitated for few seconds and those seconds cost him dearly.

The Saiyajin male rammed his elbow deep into its solar plexus, and all the breath left the demon. It doubled over and he hammerfisted it on the neck and the demon dropped like a stone, groaning. Cruelly he kicked down on its neck, braking it. Three down, two to go...

The demon had finally found its weapon, a stout looking short spear, and attacked Goku from behind. Small trickle of blood was running from his mouth where the man had punched it earlier. Goku smirked as he heard, smelt and sensed the clumsy and rage fueled assault. Spinning around at the last moment, he grabbed the spear and kicked it on the temple: more power added to the kick because of his spinning momentum. The demon's temple broke, its red eyes glazed over and it fell on the ground with a thud.

Still keeping his grip on the spear, Goku wore a dark expression as he approached the remaining demon who was spewing curses and holding its shattered nose. Half of its face was coated in blood and its chest was stained in crimson and black blood. Goku impaled the demon on the spear without a second thought. He wrenched the spear from the dead body. The Saiyajin man looked around with grim satisfaction Quickly he cleaned the area of the bodies and after that fetched the boys.

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Goten and Trunks dug into the meat grilled over the fire with vigour only a starved Saiyajin could possess. The small ex-demon group was well equipped with few short stout spears, food, water, cloaks and fire-making devices. Shadow was quite pleased with this turn of events. Their survival rate just went up a notch or two. Wrapped in the cloaks and tightly sitting around and near the fire, the half-breeds didn't dare to ask what had happened to those demons but they really didn't need to since it was plain obvious.

While the boys ate, their eyes were fixed at Shadow's mysterious face. Goku, for once, was unaware of their stares for he was so deep in thought of thinking their next move, but above all what was the thing in the darkness? So full of anger and hate, with a presence so great you were crushed out of your sanity almost instantly. The panic: how it paralyzed your moved melted your will and mind away... It certainly had been a long time since he had felt fear. Recently he had come to fear more than he would have liked, the boys slowly but surely gnawing pieces away from his hard shelter built around his mind.

" Shadow, we have something to ask you," Trunks said quietly as he and Goten exchanged nervous glances.

" Shoot," Goku growled absently.

" How come you look exactly like Goten and his brother Gohan?"

Goku's head snapped to their direction his eyes wide, mouth open and drying rapidly. His insides froze and then melted and froze again. How...? When...? He slowly touched his face and realized his scarf via mask was gone. Same was with his ponytail and head band. He hadn't even noticed his mask was gone...

Goten and Trunks watched with interest as emotions flew across his face. Shock, panic, total realization and fear and then what they guessed was defeat and silent acceptance that his secret was out. His head hung low for few seconds, his eyes obscured by his bangs. Slowly Shadow raised his head and smiled sadly and uncertainly at them. It didn't matter anymore...

" This was bound to happen at some point... especially with you. I should have been more careful when dealing with the son of Vegeta and Bulma..." Goku started and Trunks' mouth dropped open as did Goten's.

" How do you know who my father and mother are?" he asked incredulously.

" You've got your mother's eyes and grandfather's hair... though your hair is brighter of shade, Trunks Briefs. Your face is an exact replica of your father's and sure is your attitude too..." he chuckled dryly at the kids' faces written over with shock.

" Wait wait! How do you know all that about me? I haven't told you anything about... wait let's do a test! What color is my mother's hair?" Trunks declared smugly and fearfully. There was no chance this man would know that! How many people on Earth had blue hair? Shadow smirked.

" Blue, azure blue. But if you want to know her hair used to be purple before it turned green blue when she got older," Goku said smiling almost ironically at them. Trunks' face told it all: there's no friggin' way! Both had seen some pictures of adolescent Bulma with purple hair but how in the hell this man knew it!

" And to tell you more: your father's hair is black and spiky, like a flame, his eyes are black too and he's about 5,5 feet tall. You grandfather has glasses and he smokes, his hair is lighter shade of lila and he's a rocket genius so to put... your grandmother is a total airhead, though extremely nice, with blond short and curly hair and she smiles all the time... The place your family lives at and owns is Capsule Corporation and you're the richest people on Earth. I am correct so far, aren't I?"

Trunks could only nod numbly.

" But why do you have my face?" Goten still wanted to know, in awe the man knew so much about Trunks' family. Goku went quiet, he had hoped to lead the boys off that subject but the attempt seemed to be in vain.

" Tell me, Son Goten, how is your family?"

" My family, huh? Well... I have a mother and a big brother... they're good I guess..." Goten looked thoughtful.

" Bu t what about that dude your mom's married to? Isn't he your father?" Trunks asked innocently from his best friend, missing how Shadow's teeth grit together and fists clenched tightly. A look of anger and fury passed over his face and then he got a hold of his emotions and the next words spoken placated and shocked him even more.

" NO WAY! That man isn't my father! I know so! Even Gohan says so! He's mean and I don't like him at all! He's been there since my birth but that man isn't my father! Never! Ever!" Goten ranted furiously and Trunks backed away from his friend a little.

Goku wanted to jump around and shout in joy and elation, but he restrained his want to go and hug the air out of the little boy. Forcing himself to continue, he failed to note Trunks look. The boy had seen his expression during Goten's yelling.

" Your mother, Son ChiChi, a princess to the Gyu Mao Kingdom, black eyes and hair, usually kept on a bun... Son Gohan... your brother... Gyu Mao, the Ox King, your grandfather. He's a big giant with a viking helmet and he likes to bring you and Gohan gifts..." he fell quiet, shortly falling into his good memories of them.

" Whoa Trunks! He even knows my family..."

Trunks was going pale and ignored Goten's remark. Could it be...!

" My real name is Son Goku and let's just say, Goten... I am your real father. That's why you have my face."

There. He had said it. Like a huge weight had fallen off his chest...

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**A/N:** There! A mini-cliffhanger! Yay! Personally I am very happy with this chapter! The next chapter should be out soon! Review kudasai! And sayonara minna-san!


	12. Chapter 11: The Fallen Cannot Repent

**A/N:** To my eternal displeasure this chapter is quite late...(frowns) I just couldn't find inspiration and will to continue this but at last, finally and ultimately I am proud to present you the newest chapter to 'The Shadow!' Thanks for all the reviews; I really appreciate. And yes: I am very evil! Haha!

**Disclaimer:** I am but a poor student struggling under the ire of finals and no snowball's chance in hell of owning DBZ (though my lawyers are working on that, nyeh!). Every character belongs to Akira Toriyama and the Animation Studio which drew the series into cartoon format!

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**Chapter XI – Fallen Can't Afford to Repent**

Gohan wheezed in fatigue, his body aching and sore from the rather sadistic beating he had received from Vegeta. 'Re-learning' the full-blood had called it with wicked glint in his black eyes, but it was not malicious like Gohan would have thought it to be. More proud and happy than anything, but at the moment Gohan was way too pissed off ponder the workings of Saiyajin prince's mysterious brains. He was sporting a nasty black eye and his nose and lip were bleeding profusely but it was nothing he hadn't dealt with before.

His fine school clothes, which he had not had time to change before Vegeta so kindly blasted him into the woods, were tattered and barely hanging on his lean and muscular body. Despite years of slacking in training he had maintained his Saiyajin physique and Gohan had guessed it to be due his father's genes. Fighter or not, the Saiyajins were a warrior race and had warrior bodies as testimony for that.

But his soul was singing in the aftermath of the thrill of the fight and his heart was full of long forgotten joy: he really liked fighting. It was only the mortal battles, it's-either-you-or-me-dead-in-the-end-of-this-fight kind of fights he hated. Nothing wrong with a good, bloody brawl where nobody died. His soul and heart were nourished and freshened but his mind was definitely pissed off at everything: his lack of strength he had once possessed, his mother for being brave and sacrificing for them, the world for taking his real father away and trying to replace him with arrogant human prick and just about anything he felt he had unsolved issues with.

And besides, he knew he needed to train: for his own sanity's sake, for his lost brother's and Trunks' sake, for the world's sake. His senses were feeling tight with warning and the fact Vegeta was strengthening his mental shields and will only added to his worry. Piccolo had been oddly calm about the whole situation earlier when the boys had disappeared... _it must be the Kami in him knowing what is to come..._

He chuckled darkly and just knew his mother would have one hellova cow when she saw him. Gohan doubted he could blame it on sudden invasion of aliens since normally other members of Z senshi would be alerted and in the end everybody had a senzu for their wounds. At the moment he sure wasn't the walking epitome of perfect health.

His chin held high he walked through the Ox King castle's gates all beaten up, though without a limp as the guards ogled him eyes wide in shock. The stepson of their ruler was all on the verge of dying! Gohan ignored them and growled at the castle's entrance hall. His mother's new 'husband' had insisted on moving back to her old home since it was only appropriate living place for a princess like her.

_And conveniently the asshole just gets himself a grander castle and kingdom to rule... bastard!_ Gohan thought sourly as he shocked more castle staff with his battered appearance. Few maids had already fainted upon seeing his bloodied and bruised figure walking like a zombie in the hallways; dripping blood on the blue carpets. His medical kit should still be under his bed and---

" OH MY GOD! GOHAN!"

Gohan was jarred out of his thoughts at his mother's voice.

" Mom..." he greeted softly, looking sheepish, but growled angrily when he saw her. She had on beautiful, flowing dress fit for the queen and her face was covered in make-up, prettying her up even more. But Gohan was not fooled. His acute vision could distinguish the black bruise on her cheek, covered skillfully by powder and skin cream. Had that bastard laid a violent hand on her...?

" What happened to you? Oh poor Gohan..." she was in near tears and fussing about him helplessly. Gohan cringed inwardly. His real mother would have immediately marched him to medical kit and patched him up with tongue-lashing to scare the gods with. Kami knows how many times she had taken care of his and Goku's wounds after a rough spar. No she was just a doll in the strings, being stripped of her own will...

" ChiChi darling? What is this commotion about?!" came another voice and the bane of Gohan's existence walked into the scene. Handsome with icy gray eyes and dark brown hair the man was dressed fancily, eyes laden with careful and refined confusion. Honestly, Gohan still to this day couldn't remember the dude's name.

" Hayashi! Gohan, my son, he's---" ChiChi started only to be cut off rudely by the her husband prince.

" Holy---! What happened to you sonny! You look almost dead!" Hayashi said, looking shocked at Gohan's state.

Gohan scowled and stared murderously at the male. " I was just sparring with a friend," he explained and couldn't help but grin a battle-lust filled smirk and ChiChi gasped, sounding very upset. She gulped audibly as for few precious seconds her son looked exactly like his deceased and missing father: Son Goku. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes as she remembered his gentle and mischievous smile only reserved for her on special occasions, so mindful of her needs...

" SPARRING?!" Hayashi asked with incredulity, " You actually know how to form a fist? I thought you'd never leave those books or yours," he mocked with superior paternal voice. Gohan's temper had been on the edge the whole day and it only needed one pushing factor more...

" And you obviously do," he said lowly, indicating he knew he had hit ChiChi. His eyes flashed with turquoise green fire of utter hate and before Hayashi had even time to change his facial expression to that of surprised, Gohan's straight punch to jaw had sent the man flying for good ten meters!

" Gohan!" ChiChi exclaimed, her hand covering her mouth, not sounding quite as mad and resentful as she as a good wife should have. Hayashi groaned in pain on the floor and Gohan smirked in satisfaction the small crowd of guards and servants gaping at the scene.

" I suggest you get him a doctor, bone specialist and a dentist. He's gonna need them all to even begin to fix his jaw," he stated casually as people around only nodded dumbly. Their sweet master Gohan, the self-proclaimed nerd, had just punched the daylights out of their princess' spouse.

" Gohan..." ChiChi whispered carefully, voice thick with suppressed emotions. Seeing Hayashi's jaw break into hundreds of bone shards had truly been a satisfying sight.

" Mother, I have to. I need to. Everything is going to be fine but I can't repress my urges and genes any longer. You know the... factor and reason which drive me."

" But Gohan!" ChiChi protested weakly.

" _Something_ is coming. Mom. _His _instincts were never wrong about it and neither are mine," he whispered and ChiChi inhaled sharply, looking like a scared doll. There was no question of whom Gohan was talking about.

" And mom, just wait for the call from Bulma which should arrive any minute. Then you'll know why as part of the reason. I need to get training," the hybrid stated and turned his back to ChiChi, ready to walk away. And just that he did. Vegeta had gone home after their spar to tell Bulma about Trunks and Goten's wish and disappearance. This only saved him the trouble and burst ear drums.

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The fire crackled intensely, the sound of fire being the only silence breaking element. The falling evening and the coldness that came with it could not touch them as their minds were in jumble and bodies frozen in shock. Goten and Trunks could only gape their mouths hanging slack, brain desperately trying to process the information. Trunks had come to the conclusion only few seconds earlier but hearing it and accepting it was a different story.

" My... real... father...?" Goten managed to croak out of his suddenly dry throat, staring at the grim and tanned man in front of him. They really could have been each other's clones in different stages of development. Their black, unruly hair piked the same way and pattern; same black eyes glanced under dark brows.

Goku nodded curtly with, wry smile. Now it was announced and he waited patiently for their reaction. The scarred Saiyajin knew to expect conflicted emotions from the brats. It's not everyday your supposedly dead and missing father suddenly stumbles into your life.

" Well, you look like my brother..." Goten said slowly, still trying to grasp the fact that Shadow was his father and Trunks nodded as if to strengthen the point, still stunned into silence.

Goku gave a little laugh at the innocent and obvious statement, running a calloused hand thru his black spikes.

" But... Gohan says you're dead..." Trunks found his voice, the meat he had been eating long forgotten in his hands and getting cold.

" You could put it that way... Cell's damned fault, anyways... He's the reason I fell into this literal hellhole and I assure ya I'm very much alive, " Goku mumbled, starting to feel little nervous under the children's gazes.

" But why you didn't come back to us?" The black-haired child asked, sounding a bit betrayed and Goku felt his heart twist and before he had time to explain the hybrid lilac-top beat him to it.

" Goten, you dummy! Don't you remember what Shadow told us? He's bound to Hell by a warlock and can't get our of here before he kills the dude but is unable cause his powers are suppressed or something like that! We asked him that in the benign cave, remember? " Trunks punched Goten in the arm for emphasis.

" Oh yesh!" Goten's expression brightened considerably, shrugging off the smarting from the cuff. " It's kinda hard to leave this place!" he then remarked, remembering the hardships they had endured to this point and they had been in Hell only for few days. He cast a shy glance at Goku, suddenly feeling unsure of himself and how to behave in his presence. He had a father... a cool father at that, too.

" Dad?" he said uncertainly, the word rolling out of his mouth sounding pleasant enough to himself. Goku gulped, feeling quite bit emotional. It had been seven years since anyone had called him dad.

" Daddy!" Goten shrieked joyously and shot onto his lap and hugged around his chest the best his short arms reached. Goku couldn't help smiling gently at his youngest son and wrapped his sinewy arms around his small form. His body ached and wounds stung but like it hadn't done that before. Goten let small sobbing noises and Goku soothed him the best he could and barely remembered how to do it. It had been long time since he had last let down his emotional shield and allowed himself to be soft.

Trunks watched the encounter smiling hugely at the sight. Goten deserved to know his father, but who would have guessed he'd turn out to be as cool as his own father, Vegeta. The son of Vegeta never would have thought that Gohan and Goten's father could possibly be a warrior and adventurer of this calibre. The guy killed demons and rescued helpless people from Hell for Kami's sake!

The fire crackled and comfortable silence settled over them.

The issues between them were not clear but at least little clearer and Trunks doubted more trouble would arise along with this discovery.

" Dad...? Can you come home with us? Mom needs you... I want you to come home with us," Goten whispered into his chest.

Goku shook his head sadly. " We hafta see about that... Besides, I doubt I have a place in that life anymore..."

Neither Goten or Trunks could say anything to this: knowing it to be true since no one ever had even talked about Goten's dad to them, expect as a quick accidental reference. Why it was, they could only guess.

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**A/N: ** I'm semi-happy with this chapter. I wished I could of made the last scene a bit more dramatic but to hell with it... See ya. Next chappie should be out when I write it. Can't make promises with my updating style and schedule... hehe... But at least I updated!


	13. Chapter 12: The Endless Rift

Chapter 12: The Endless Rift

For the longest time the chains had been breaking, one by one and his freedom was closer every hour; every single day. He could feel the dark matter around him pulsing, calling him to the surface, to wreak havoc amongst the races of universe and trouble the gods, drive them to desperate measures, make them thus no better than he was. Formerly he had been just it and now his persona and thought had been freed he had once again became he: not a mindless beast anymore, but a thinking, living essence of the evil.

His senses, his crushing mental powers were beginning to activate and for flashing moment Essence sensed something pure nearby his jail-dimension. Bright but oh so tainted at the same time: the pureness of the being hidden underneath a fine layer of taint. Like a dusty light bulb which just needed the touch of a sweeper. As fast as the thing had been in his presence it was gone.

Not paying heed to it, Essence spread his senses, the wave traveling across the universe, from Heaven to Hell in seconds. His bottomless eyes opened in smug satisfaction. On one tiny single planet resided all the people who could be even called slightly strong in his standards. Ah yes, Earth. The center of all magical and spiritual energy in the universe, the planet where the gate to Hell and Heaven could be opened, guarded by the furnace of fire.

Soon it would be his time to cause carnage, splatter brains and rip limbs, bath in the blood of the innocent victims and plunge the universe into utter chaos. The gods would be unprepared for this and his victory would be sure. There was no power in the universe that could stop him; the old heroes capable of it dead long ago. Two of the three legendary weapons used to forge the universe were destroyed, the third been lost since the ancient time. He really didn't have anything to worry about and that just pissed him off to no end.

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The morning in Hell was as depressing as usual but the adult and two children preparing for their journey didn't even notice. Shadow because he was used to it and Goten and Trunks because they were so hyped about the fact that Shadow, their mysterious hero, was Goten's long lost father. Who could have guessed that the father of Gohan and Goten was such tough man? You wouldn't guess Gohan, the book-worm to be related to this guy.

Trunks' mind had began wondering about things the minute his true identity was released. Where the man had learned to fight and just how good he was? Well, good enough to slaughter a small army, the lilac top recalled with shiver, sudden image of splattering blood everywhere invading his mind. He hissed his resolve wobbled and forcefully pushed the image away. He glanced at the dark man kicking the ashes of their fire, wearing a hard expression, black outfit ragged and dusty.

Acquaintance of his father perhaps? His father was known for formidable martial artist skill after all and there seemed to be same attributes to them. Black spiky hair he had never seen another human possess: the hardness of eyes and bottomless blackness of them unlike in humans. Feral beings with unexplainable quality of danger to them, unconsciously ready to fight what ever may come their way.

Was Shadow his father's brother, perhaps?

" What are you staring at, brat? That kind of lack of attention will get ya killed someday," Goku barked, his shields being slammed back into place. One night of softness had been enough to open the wounds in his soul and he knew he would shatter if he showed too much affection, knowing he'd have to let the boys go and never see them again.

" You, obviously," Trunks frowned and then blurted out. " You don't happen to be my father's brother? There's no another way that you know as much as you do about us..." he explained his reasonings, the black vortex in the sky burning into his skin from above.

" Whoa? You're Uncle Vegeta's brother too?" Goten piped in enthusiastically. He was diligently wrapping the leather flagons into a sheet they had slept under when he heard the new assumption about his sire.

Goku stared blankly, the corners of his mouth twitching before he burst out in sounding laughter.

" Vegeta's brother? Me? Now that's a laugh... AHAHAHAA... He'd rather kill me hundred time than ever even say something like that!" He shook with laughter, holding his sides and both children looking at him with raised eyebrows.

" It could be," Trunks outed angrily that his theory had been thwarted so easily.

Shadow got serous again, glancing at them thoughtfully. " Well, damn... I guess so since we remind each other in some areas: we are the last full-blooded ones of our race, after all..." Goku pondered, his dark brows slanting.

" What's that supposed to mean? What race?" Trunks asked curiously. Why was the man talking like they knew what he was talking about?

" Full-blooded what? You're human like we," Goten titled his head and stared up at his father in inquiry.

Nonplussed expression crossing his scarred and tanned face Goku regarded the boys. Were they playing with him?

" Last full-blooded Saiyajins, born on planet Vegetasei over thirsty years ago," the Saiyajin male told them irritated. It wasn't that hard to remember, now was it?

" ..." Goten and Trunks stared at him eyes wide as saucers, faces frozen into stone. Goku's eyebrows shot up in surprise too and his mouth opened but no words came out. " You... didn't know? That you two are half-Saiyajins?" he asked slowly, his mind not believing it. He could imagine ChiChi and Bulma keeping it a secret but even Vegeta? The Prince of Saiyajin not flaunting his birthright and the superiority of their race?

" A wh-wh-what? Half-Saiyajin...?" Goten seemed to wince out. " You mean as half-alien or sumthin'?"

Goku nodded curtly. Fucking great: now he had almost shocked them into catatonic states of mind with his little revelation.

" My dad's and alien? As in not-from-Earth?" Trunks' face twisted almost comically when he thought about it, but it only seemed... fitting. He had heard him curse stupid human technology and weakness many time but thought nothing of it. Not to mention the inhuman strength he possessed. Smashing a wall of concrete into dust with a single blow should have been final clue but back then Trunks had thought he was just dreaming a silly dream.

Goten and Trunks glanced at each other and back to waiting Shadow, imposing with his sinewy arms crossed and glaring impatiently at them. The boys locked eyes again.

" You know..." Trunks smirked.

" Yeah... this is..." Goten grinned wildly.

" Extremely cool!" they shrieked together in abandon. " We're half-aliens! What kind of super powers we have? Superman is superstrong and he has this x-ray vision and he can fly and---" Trunks began babbling in excitement, the scorching deserts of doom surrounding the last thing in his mind.

" Yea this rocks! Hey, does your mom know she married and alien? We should tell her when we see her the next time!"

" You think? She's gonna freak! And you know how loud she can scream? Wanna invest on some earplugs before that?"

" Now that's a good idea, Trunks. Hey. What about mine? Does my mom know my father is from outerspace?"

Goku felt a sweatdrop running down the side of his face. He should of guessed... When you tell two seven-year-olds that they're part aliens they'll probably immediately come to conclusion they might have superpowers. Children... Goku sighed and scratched the back of his head in annoyance. The chatter was getting on his nerves and he knew just what kind of beasts loud speaking could bring forth...

" SHUT UP!" He snapped vehemently and the boys' mouths clicked shut in that same moment. " What did I tell you about the voices? I don't have my katana or needed ways of defense to fight off those creatures..." he let the silent threat hang in the air and little urchins realized their almost grave mistake. It was partly their fault Shadow didn't have his katana anymore.

" Just to make this short and shut up your damned chatter: We're called Saiyajins, we have monkey like tails though me and Vegeta lost them in battle and yours was probably cut off at birth. During fullmoon, tailed ones, can transform into huge giant apes, Oozaru. The advances ones can ascend into Legendary Super Saiyajin and beyond. We can fly, shoot ki blast and we're, when rightly trained, fucking stronger than any shitty being in the universe. Never wondered about the huge appetite? Well, this is the cause. Got it? Let's head the fuck out already!"

Goten and Trunks nodded numbly and let Goku take their hands and begin dragging them along. Their brains were still furiously trying to process the information received. Fly? Shoot ki blasts? What even was a ki blast?

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They had now traveled the seemingly endless desert couple of days more, Shadow's words about Saiyajins and their heritage scant. The boys had definitely in true Saiyajin fashion adapted to their surroundings. Both were sporting a golden and protecting tan against the malicious burning heat of the black sun in the bloody sky. Their small bodies had become tougher, though they both had lost some weight as well and appeared skinnier and lankier than before.

Goten and Goku had developed something akin to a good father-son relationship. Both were aware that they'd never see each other again after they had passed through the rift so they made most of the time just quiet talking. To any other person it would be meaningless small talk but to them it was the only way of talking without causing the future wounds to be deeper than they already were.

Goten almost always burst in tears thinking his father couldn't follow with him and take his righteous place in their family and then the Hell's grip would almost get him. If they only could kill that warlock who bind him... for the first time in his young life Goten was seriously thinking of killing someone on cold blood and when he told about it to his sire he had only laughed. Said he knew exactly how he felt and Goten didn't have hard time believing that.

They were attacked couple of times by small groups of lesser demons since the lords of this realm didn't like spending time near the rift between dimensions, it leaked pure energy of the living and it was too much to take. The stronger you were the harder the impact of it and everyone in Hell knew that the effect as polar opposite on Kage no Yarou: he only got stronger there where the energies of his real dimension revitalized his suppressed chi signal. And no one wanted to be there to be easy prey to him when he was at his peak and most vexed at the demons.

Shadow grinned sadly as he sensed the waves of energy the portal sent: his mind in tune to its refreshing powers. Then his smile froze on his face: it was strong here, the dark presence. It was always quiet as death in the barren land of Hell but this silence was heavy and even more quiet than the normal one. It was so subtle change that it almost escaped his keen senses but it was there. The thing he had seen in while unconscious. His hand automatically went over his shoulder to grasp the handle of his katana which didn't hang in his back anymore. He let the hand fall and stopped, hesitant.

Trunks looked at him and then scanned the horizon and spotted something glittering and purple in shade in the distance. His blue eyes widened.

" Shadow? Is that the dimensional rift: the portal?" he whispered, making Goten's head snap to his direction in panic and joy.

" Shush!" came the sharp command from Shadow and the boys fell into grudging silence. What crawled up his ass and died no suddenly? They were starting to get hungry and thirsty again and the door to home was so close...

" The rift... it's... broader than before..." Goku wore an expression of complete perplexity. He wanted to investigate the matter and get the boys home but his instinct stopped him and he had learnt to trust his instincts above all. They stood in and stared at the pulsing rift, unmoving. Now Goten and Trunks both were beginning to get anxious and they sensed something was utterly wrong and the faraway look in Goku's black eyes proved it. He was gazing to the beyond, reading the energies, listening to them...

" The portal... it's joined... it's the passage... the very backdoor _he_ left when... and they're breaking," he mumbled, fear seizing him like never before. Even the first horrid battle he ever had in Hell and the torturous days after hadn't installed such fright in his weary soul.

" What?" the half-breeds asked in unison.

" We're in deep shit that's what," he said totally emotionless.

" Now that's not good, is it?"

" Lessay, only an extremely lucky and improbable coincidence which happens once in the universes history is gonna save our asses and that's not gonna happen now."

" Basically: we're screwed."

" Times million and you're not even close how fucked we are."

" We just have the shittiest of luck, it seems."

" That's what Bulma's been saying since Emperor Pilaf..."

" What now?"

" We run."

" Right."

The trio had only swiveled around in the heels and took three steps when everything exploded.

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Sweat stung in his wounds as Gohan went through furious staff-kata with the red pole belonging to his late father. Nyoi-bo, the strange dark red bo-staff with stretching and shrinking abilities. It was sort of a heirloom and Gohan had decided to get the feel of the weapon again. He had used it only few times in his life and it brought his father to his mind very clearly: the late Saiyajin had trained frequently with the staff before all the shit with Raditz happened and some of the moves had stuck in his mind as he had watched the graceful flow of movements from his window.

It was a fine weapon indeed, he weighed it in his hand, feeling the fine craftsmanship. Tot think his namesake had owned such a weapon; where on Earth he could have gained it in the beginning anyway?

Gohan's fathoming was interrupted as something jarred his senses abruptly. Up, in the sky, he sensed it. It was s swirl of colors of dark shade, completely neutral as it loomed and grew in size. He gaped. What it was, he didn't know, but he knew this was the cause of their, his, everyone's, unrest. He retracted the pole and strapped it on his back for safekeeping. With a sharp explosion of his ki he flew towards the strange phenomenon, sensing Vegeta's massive ki on the move towards the swirl as well.

This meant battle but this time he wouldn't allow himself to be weak. For the sake of his mind and for the sake of his father's memory.

" Bring it on, bastards, just bring it on."

The wind blew away his determined whisper and Gohan knew words wouldn't win this clash.

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**A/N:** Done this chapter! We're in the beginning of the end and things are getting rowdy... hahahaa! Review, kudasai! Oh yeah, I'm on roll and feeling dramatic as ever! HUAH! (Strikes a kung fu pose) Ready to battle the evil writer's block to the fullest! And if anyone's confused about the talk before the explosion: too bad for you. I find that conversation quite funny: just the deeper artistic side of me showing, I guess...


	14. Chapter 13: Legendary, where art thou?

**A/N:** Just sit tight for the end is nearing... hehehee!

**Disclaimer:** All my savings went down the drain with the car I bought... It's piece of junk and in need of repair every other day but I still love that piece of shit to death! It takes me to places and I get to move around freely... So you really think with my budget I'd have snowball's chance in hell to own DBZ?! Hahha!

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Chapter XII – Oh Legendary where art thou?

" Whatta hell it is?" Gohan screamed at Vegeta over the howling wind and crackle of energies gathered at the sky. His teeth were practically rattling in his mouth from the rumbling noise reverberating around and Saiyajin prince and halfbreed had to strain their sensitive ears to hear each other and at the same time

protect their ear drums form bursting. The two had met at the strange phenomenon, neither really sure how to approach it: it was threatening and evil but there was nothing to fight here. Obviously it was a portal of some sort but they couldn't figure it out. Usually such phenomenons as portals and rifts through time or space or both, didn't have positive or negative energy but this one reeked of pure evil. This was the feeling of oppression they had had for sometime and the fell and taste of a fight was in the air...

" The shit I know! You're the astrophysicist and quantumshit whiz, not me! Although this isn't normal and doen't abide by any laws I know about friggin's portals!" Vegeta barked back while holding his ears gingerly. His golden aura blazed around him royally and warded off the worst of the wind and energy crackling around them in the maelstrom. The elder Saiyajin smirked as he watched the young half-breed struggling with his own Super Saiyajin transformation after being dormant so long.

" You should've trained," he simply jested and received a growl in return.

" Shut up... just shut... like I don't realize that..." Gohan muttered savagely, his grip on Nyibo tightening with his emotions. The pole felt firm and solid in his hand, slightest bit of warm like soothing wood. It calmed him down somewhat, strangely enough. " Anyways, we have to some and do it now! This isn't going to bore well for the planet and people in the long run! Somebody is bound to notice soon and---"

KA-BAM!

Gohan's voice was lost in the loud noise as the dimensions ripped and and void was formed in midst of the unnatural storm. A black opening in the sky, surrounded by evilness of overwhelming magnitude. Gohan and Vegeta could only stare in awe at the crushing feeling. You didn't see every day dimensions' walls ripped asunder two metres in front of you. And it began pulling them in.

" Shit!" Vegeta cursed and tired to resist the pull of the power with his own ki but no avail: he couldn't concentrate to focus his power and keep it flowing steadily. He screamed in frustration and fear, panic creeping into his mind. What was this presence? So dominating and so abnormally forceful that he was practically quaking in his boots and loosing his mind and will?

" Vegeta!" Gohan yelled as he tried to pry himself from the vacuum's suck. He simply wasn't strong enough. Distantly he could hear Vegeta's screams and felt the powers of the other Z senshi closing in. Kuririn, Tien and Piccolo. He wanted to scream at them to go away and leave while they still could but his throat was suddenly clogged and he couldn't breath nor speak. From the abrupt cut off in Vegeta's scream Gohan knew the prince was suffering from the same problem and only now realized they had been sucked into the void.

_OH SHIT! _

Was his last coherent thought before he felt himself falling to the emptiness: down, up, it didn't matter. The eldest halfbreed saw and heard Kuririn's frantic yells like through some invisible glass and oddly a metaphor of falling into sewer and looking up at the hole while someone was peeking at him came to mind and fit like a glove to the whole situation. He looked down and frowned. Another portal awaited and it looked like some kind of hostile version of Sahara. With something dark in there, looming...

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" Goddamnit...!" Shadow cursed and spat dry sand out of his mouth and rubbed his eyes furiously. He had sand in places he really didn't want to think about and he was sure he had swallowed at least few pounds of it. The blast when the things started going to hell, literally, had thrown the trio far and buried them into scalding hot sand, scarping and mutilating them cruelly in the progress. Goten and Trunks were whimpering while trying to get the irritating and burning sand off their skins.

" What was that?!" Goten wailed while tears streamed down his scraped and dusty face. It burnt do damn much! " What was it? WHAT'S GOING ON?!"

" I DUNNO!" Trunks yelled back at equally panicked voice. He was hurt, blinded and the murdering evil presence was making thinking straight extremely hard and he reacted accordingly with nearly suffocating fear as an emotion.

" The chains... chains broke, son of a bitch..." Goku murmured while heaving like he was about to throw up. It coiled and wound inside him and he recognized it from before when he had been accidentally mind-wondered to that dark place and to the Essence. Yes, he now knew it's name. While training for the Saiyajin invasion over ten years ago at Kaio-sama's planet he had also in occasional boredom when Kaio-sama took naps studied the godly books and scrolls and manuscripts in the bookshelf. It had been mostly about history and godly society and hierarchy but few marks of the true evil and the Essence of it had caught his eyes then.

Many hundreds millenia ago when more than one Kaioushin had been alive there had been two evils, one created by some toad wizard and other that had just existed in the existence for god only knew how long. Both were sealed, another to the very center of the magic: the connection between Hell and Heaven and another to the very other dimension between all the existence. This was the worse of them: Essence...

Quickly thinking Goku couldn't recall the name of the another sealed and lost demon...

Cursing he could feel tight spot beginning to from in his throat and he resisted the urge to gulp soundly. What he wouldn't give for his Super Saiyajin powers right now. The tremors rocked the ground and high pitched continuous roar pierced the air dry air and the Hell itself seemed to shrink back in fear of being unleashed. Feeling his ears popping a the loud sound Shadow staggered to his feet and lifted his gaze from the sandy ground to meet the sight he was sure he'd never forget if he lived through this.

The portal swirled violently and a black seeping crack tore in and the reality in two in the middle. The intensive growl had faded and something moved in the darkness: everything moved suddenly slowly as mighty being jumped through the realities' walls and effect like window shattering took place, breaking the wall to tiny pieces only to repair itself but remain as broken illusion, only. The being stood boldly on four taloned feet, its body furred with gray and black. It had a tail that waved dangerously behind it and impressive looking maw. In short Goku was surprised how elegant looking the thing actually was but it lasted only for a moment. The hostile radiance of pure evil surrounded it and made his stomach twist into painful knots and his breathing was suddenly very heavy.

Goku absentmindedly noted that Goten and Trunks were both shaking hysterically and crying their eyes out in fear, hugging each other in fear just like they when they had first arrived in Hell: only this time the feeling was much worse. Unable to break the fear's hold himself, Goku could just look on in fascination and abhor. This thing could tear down the realities and literally blow up the universe and only thing to fight it at the moment was him: weakened, unable and shit-scared.

The Essence had been released and Son Goku for the first time in long seven years felt complete and total desperate fear grip his string heart.

Goten and Trunks had fallen unconscious from the powerful presence and Son Goku readied himself for his final stand. All hope was lost now but damn if he was going to go down without a fight!

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**A/N:** Sorry this is a short chapter but I just couldn't include the future happenings in this one because the line of those events aren't yet clear and straight in my mind... I updated didn't I? And a cookie for those who know/realize from whom/what Essences looks are stolen from! Review, please and JA NE!


	15. Chapter 14: Holy beats Evil, Blood Water

**A/N:** Here again... this is the third or second last chapter of this story: yes! I will finally be able to complete this! It's been a nice journey after all! Thanks for all the reviews! I really appreciate!

**Disclaimer:** The very reason why fanfiction exists: because none one of us author here own it!

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Chapter XIV – Holy defeats Evil, Blood Water

( By the way, The Essence looks like Omega weapon from FF8 or FFX which ever game you prefer. Same beast; more advanced graphics :))

" Hey, you! Piece of motherfuckin' asshole!" Goku screamed and shook his fist in fury, purposefully trying to gain the massive beast's attention. Anger flooded his veins and fury lit his black eyes to aflame and it was the only thing that kept him from fainting in fear or running away, screaming. If he weren't so mad about everything at the moment he would have been doomed from the very start. He had finally met his youngest son; after years of suffering two rays of light had pierced his darkness, unwittingly making more human again than he had been in years. And now it all was going down the drain because of some overgrown, ultimately powerful Legendary Demon of Darkness had awoken?

Goku didn't think so.

I was funny as always. The Saiyajin warrior was once again too mad to give up foolish and certain death in order to win. Had worked with all the previous enemies if you didn't count Raditz and Cell; those fights didn't go exactly as planned but everything turned out well for the others at least. What more he could ask? The Essence would go to Earth, hell, every planet in the existence just to destroy them for fun and everybody would die. Once again Goku didn't have a choice but to step in the boots of a protector even as futile as it seemed to be.

" Hey, ugly! I'm talking to ya!"

Slowly, so terrifyingly slowly the massive head turned and laid its empty and evil eyes at the tanned individual insulting it so recklessly and Goku felt his insides freeze at the gaze. Truly fear-inducing villain this one was and Goku wished he'd momentarily gain his Super Saiyajin powers back and even stood a chance against this monster. _Hell, what I'm doing!?_

" You puny being, a mortal no less, dare to challenge me, The Eternal Evil and Carnage known in the Universe?" The ground shook as Essence's voice boomed and the Saiyajin felt his teeth rattling and ears pop painfully. He barely managed to keep standing from the tremors, unwilling tears desperation making their way down his tanned and scarred cheeks.

" Yes..." It came out as a choked whisper and he assumed his comfortable battle stance, gaining some of his composure back. " Yes, damnit! I, man known as Shadow, challenge you, asshole!"

" IMPUDENT FOOL!" The Essence hollered in anger and Son Goku was sure his pathetic end had come. Something wet trickled down the side of his neck and he knew the reason why his head was ringing was that at least another eardrum had burst from the force of incredible decibels created by the traitorous beast.

" Shit!"

The first and sudden swipe of its paws literally tore the landscape apart and Shadow was sent flying along with debris and burning sand. The fight for the fate of the Universe had begun and not definitely in Goku's and the Universe's inhabitants' favor.

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Gohan floated in the darkness and squeezed the warm magical stuff in his right hand tightly. The demi-Saiyajin could see Vegeta floating little farther away in slumped and out-of-breath position, the prince's chest falling and rising visibly so he wasn't dead. For a moment everything was still, unmoving; as if the Universe itself was holding its breath, timeless as ever.

Gohan felt himself also stop; his heart didn't beat, his brain frozen for a second so short he had time to realize it had happened before the falling began again. The young man could only blink in confusion: his booksmarts provided him zero information on this strange event and set him off balance. Rarely he came upon a situation he didn't know absolutely anything about and that frightened him.

Vegeta seemed to have gained his wits back to him and was now impassively falling next to Gohan. Neither had an ounce of control of their direction or destination not to mention their energy. The portal leading to some kind of desert realm was getting closer by every passing second. The duo stopped to hover right in front of it and for a moment they floated in darkness, watching with wide eyes the battle going on. A huge beats like creature was tearing the world apart in murderous rage, emitting waves of wrongness that the Saiyajin fighters were about to lose their lunches.

" Someone's... fighting it?" Vegeta asked uncertainly, sensing powers at work that weren't meant for mortals or even Gods, his gruff voice echoing strangely in the air. Both were in a sense blind here for their sixth sense so precious to them was even picking up each others energy signals when they stood few feet apart.

" Then why are we here?" Gohan found himself asking before he even thought about it, looking surprised at himself. Vegeta turned to him looking as upset as the half-breed.

" Why indeed..." the prince of Saiyajins frowned at extended his gloved hand to the portal and immediately it was repelled, flinging the the appendage away from it. Vegeta hissed a curse. " It won't let us in, either, damnit."

" It's a man, a human man!" Gohan pointed out, having spotted a figure in the dust of the conflict with his acute Saiyajin eyes.

" What?" Vegeta said incredulously and focused his eyes on where Gohan pointed at: it was indeed humanoid shaped being in vain attempt of fight against the hulking demon, near the indescribable creature. The figure of the man was in some inexplicable way even familiar to him... and coming straight at them with the demon-beast at his heels!

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Armed with only the crude spear he had taken from the poor devils before, Goku fought bravely even though he knew that the Essence was only toying with him, using a fraction of its real power. Barely dodging a deadly lash from its tail the lost Saiyajin reminded himself that freak accidents happened all the time and he might accidentally manage to kill the creature. After all, Frieza had gotten cut in half by his own stupid attack, as pathetic and unlikely as it was...

" HYAH!" he yelled as he jumped past the Essence's defenses and prepared to plunge the spear into its nasty eye and through that hopefully to its brain and kill it. For one fleeting moment Goku thought he had succeeded when the creature with shocking speed evaded the piercing blade and next thing Goku felt was tremendous hit to his back which at least cracked his ribs and collapsed his lungs. Crashing to the ground, scraping himself open again he couldn't even scream in pain as he had no air left inside him. His back was on fire and his head ringing like never before: it didn't even matter that he was choking on his own blood because he couldn't breathe anyways.

He would have laughed too, if he could of, at the irony of it all.

Rolling in excruciating pain on to his stomach he spat out mouthful of crimson liquid, grimacing at the coppery taste. Inhaling raspingly he could feel the air returning to him slowly, his surroundings still crumbling down before the Essence's wrath, keeping him hidden in the dust that covered the whole area.

_Gah... Goku, you're getting too old for this shit, _the Saiyajin told himself as he with some difficulties got to his wobbly feet. It was his luck the greatest threat to the Universe didn't know how to sense his presence or energy and the beats lost the sight of his adversary from time to time. Otherwise Son Goku would have died ten times over by now.

" WHERE ARE YOU, YOU FILTH! COME AND GET ME YOU MIGHTY MORTAL!" Essence mocked and laughed haughtily and the voice alone almost jarred his bones out of place. And he had thought Vegeta's maniac laughter had been bad...

" So be it!" Goku screamed back, his temper over-boiled, and stuck the stubby spear into its hind leg with vengeance. The beast roared in fury of being wounded not in pain and kicked in hopes of hitting the teasing bug and squashing it. It only managed to graze Goku who found himself in some more pain and airborne for the umpteenth time. Bitterly he closed his eyes and guessed what he would be smashed into this time when he felt himself sinking into something and bouncing back.

" Whatta hell?" His onyx eyes blinked open just in time to see the Essence flying towards him about to crush him and realize he had been kicked into to the turbulent portal which refused his entry for he was still bound to Hell by that one pesky demon warlock's spell. Asshole. The Hell's angel was in world of pain as the massive carcass pinned him to the surface of the portal, the beast feeling confused: why this pesky mortal wasn't going through the portal and escape it? It sure would have done so.

Ah that's why... Being a being of not entirely meant to exists it could see the invisible tendrils holding the man to place, keeping him in the realm of Hell until the one who cast the spell passed on or released him. A binding spell? Like such feeble power could match his prowess!

" Thus I break it; the spell binding one; shatter to the mist; dispel the power; holding it to this," it growled smugly, being encompassed its own greatness as Goku stared at it almost uncomprehending,, bloodied, half-deaf and nearly mortally wounded through pain-hazed eyes. " ABIDE!" The word boomed in the wasteland echoed...

...and in a moment Shadow sank thru the surface of the rift, feeling the grip of Hell letting go and a small smile tugged the corners of his mouth before everything went black.

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" Shit, they're coming thru!" Gohan hollered and managed to step aside as some invisible shield seemed to cave in and the beast and the mysterious man stumbled in the semi-dimension which existed between two planes of matter and dimensions. The stench of fear and evil hit them head on and they both recognized it as the same they had felt back on Earth: Vegeta involuntarily hopped backwards in vain attempt to get away from horrid creature.

" YOU CANNOT ESCAPE NOR HIDE, SCUM!" It screamed gleefully and Gohan and Vegeta shook in their boots, rooted to spot in fear. The beast was obviously talking to the man that had been fighting it but they both felt that the words included them as well now.

" SHUT UP YOU WHATEVER YOU ARE!" Vegeta bellowed belligerently and in a second unleashed his maximum power, jumping to Super Saiyajin ascended state. Horrible, fearsome beast it may be but even it didn't have the right to order Prince of all Saiyajins around! Only his vixen of a wife had that privilegde. Besides, Vegeta absolutely hated being scared of anything in general.

Gohan braced himself for Vegeta's rash actions and the explosion of power that usually followed when someone powered up that suddenly and under emotion never came. Astonished he could only gape as Vegeta hurled massive blast of energy that hit the demonic creature head on and it didn't even flinch. More so it looked comically disgruntled after that one than a heap of charred crisp it should have been reduced to.

" Impossible," Gohan muttered but stubbornly powered up to Super Saiyajin as well, ready to shock the enemy jumped to stand next Vegeta who looked equally upset as the weird beast did. He set down the pole so it wouldn't get on his way while fighting. The man fighting earlier lay face down little away, apparently unconscious or dead, judging from the blood that covered his dirty and ragged form.

" Super Saiyajins? What are Saiyajins doing here?" The beast growled in annoyance. Last time he had been awake a long long time ago, Super Saiyajins had been the worst pest in the Universe! Always ganging up on him and forcing him to retreat while overwhelming it with sheer numbers alone... Oh how it hated and detested Super Saiyajins! It would never forget the golden glow about them, the fiery aquamarine eyes and that defying attitude, the one that warded partly off the natural fear he instilled in people!

Gohan and Vegeta were immediately on guard: it knew about Super Saiyajins? Vegeta's heart beat like pistons of V8 engine but his anger warded off the most of the feeling: oddly enough, the prince noted, that Gohan didn't seem to be affected at all.

" The first thing I'll do when I get out of this forsaken place is to blow up that fucking Planet Saiya!" it threatened.

" Planet Saiya doesn't exist anymore, neither does Vegetasei, tough luck," Vegeta smirked arrogantly, though the thought still caused twinges in his heart. Distracted by the news the creature let its guard down and they Saiyajin duo took advantage of it immediately and struck. Playing fair in this fight would only result in the their deaths.

Gohan's booted foot smashed to its muzzle making its head turn to the side from the impact and Vegeta hammered to the jaw with double fists. The beast reeled back from the hits and the two Super Saiyajins kept raining hits on it with astounding speed and strength, forcing it to cover and only defend. Suddenly retreating the men launched their signature attacks hitting it once again head on.

" MASENKO!"

" GYARIKKU-HO! (Galick Gun for dubbies :))"

Essence was fully covered in the explosion which in normal conditions would have blown away everything and resulted in shock wave but now nothing was felt and it was truly unsettling. It must the feature of the semi-space, Gohan concluded and was poised for anything as they waited for the smoke to clear away. It finally did and the creature stood there, completely unharmed with growing look of pissed off loathing on its face.

" Feh," Vegeta's face tightened in annoyance.

" I should've known," Gohan remarked with scowl.

" Likewise," Vegeta answered curtly.

With passing glance Gohan and Vegeta communicated silently with each other. They had been in enough battles together to be able to do so; quickly the attack plan and pattern was decided on and they attacked again. Nothing else seemed to matter: both sensed that this was more than normal villain on a rampage and needed to be stopped at any cost. If they had known that even Gods and Kais had retreated and hidden themselves the moment the beast got free, leaving the Universe and mortals fend for themselves, they maybe would have thought twice.

Maybe.

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Goku groaned in pain, his eyes opening. He had expected to see the pale pink sky of the realm of Heaven and puffy souls in line, waiting to be judged but what he saw made him doubt his mind.

_This is it; I've finally lost it._

The darkness was impenetrable all around him and it felt funny lying on hard air: the round shape on the dark wall showing the demolished Hell and it's red sky and two Super Saiyajins beating on Essence in front of it. He blinked tiredly, feeling the crusted blood crack as he burrowed his brows. Was that his Nyoibo laying on the floor?

_This proves it. I'm finally gone insane from all the fighting and injuries. ChiChi always said this would happen if I kept up training like I did..._ In his unfocused thoughts the name of his dear wife warmed his heart even if it brought more agony. He knew she had married another man... but what Goten had told him the man didn't seem very nice and it seemed contradicted to all those visions he had seen in the crystal ball while still being captured by the deranged warlock in Hell many years ago. From Uranai Baba Goku knew that crystal balls couldn't tell lies, so it had been rough time.

_What I am thinking? I should be getting up and fighting instead! It's not over yet; what does it matter if I'm crazy as long as Essence is destroyed?_

With stubbornness he began moving his arms, hissing in pain while doing so. It seemed the last hit by the beast really had done a number on him. He felt like he had been beaten repeatedly by ChiChi's Frying Pan of Doom for a month. In a moment of pain-induced craziness he re-thought it: nah, even Essence wasn't capable of that much damage as his dear spouse while armed with her skillet.

Growls and yells permeated the air with the sick sounds of fist hitting flesh and ki blasts exploding drumming at the background while Goku crawled in agony to take hold of his old weapon. His worn hand met the smooth and warm surface of the red pole and surge of nostalgia rose in his battered soul. He was truly tired and abused compared to that of youthful joy and determination he had been as a child: a pure soul, not anymore.

" Masenko!" Rang the hoarse cry and Goku froze. _Masenko? It fucking can't be..._

" Gohan?" he whispered and clutched the pole which felt oddly warm and safe in his hands. It wasn't a dream and he wasn't going crazy: it all added up. His mind was suddenly crystal clear and he forgot the agony in his weary body. Of course the portal led to Earth, the magical center of the Universe and the playground of everything supernatural. It was only natural Z senshi would investigate weird phenomenon with evil seeping from it.

" Big Bang Attack!"

Vegeta. Of course, who else? His heart swelled with joy but also with hesitation. What he could say or do? Would they cast him out of their lives just because he had been 'dead' for seven years? _Oh hell! Now's not the the time to dwell on this shit. I must concentr---_

_I must win._

_What?_

_At any cost._

Shadow blinked and shook his head and tried to get on his shaky feet. What was that about suddenly? Not entirely inexperienced in spiritual matters Son Goku felt another presence touch his just now and he forgot everything else. It was faintly familiar and he knew it very well. The wooden pole pulsed in his hand with the rhythm of his heart and it was a powerful pulse full of energy not of his own.

" Of course."

Now drawing himself to his full height Goku inhaled deeply, feeling peace settle over him like he hadn't felt in years.

" Grandpa knew; like he was normal anyways," he said to himself with dry humour. It was not odd at all anymore that Son Gohan Senior guarded the Furnace with the elemental goddess of fire as he and ChiChi had discovered while trying to save her father and dress from the fire.

Nyoibo, the last existing of the Holy Weapons used to create the Universe.

It definitely was time to end it all for good.

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" BWAHAHAHA! YOU CAN'T BEAT ME! EVEN THE GODS TREMBLE IN FRONT OF ME AND YOU DEFY ME? PREPOSTEROUS! I'M ESSENCE AND YOU'RE DEAD!" It laughed madly and kept brushing the Super Saiyajins away like flies. Bruised and bloodied it was becoming hard to keep up with the monster who was now painfully flagrantly playing with them cat and mice. There was seemingly no limit to its power and above it all the beast suffered from bad megalomania and desire to destroy the whole fucking existence.

Not definitely Gohan's favorite kind of customer.

" I so should of trained..." he whined for the millionth time and took a hit to the abdomen and chest as he was pummeled by the Essence's tail. Managing to bring up his defenses again he blocked the rest of the hits and flew farther away to get a breather and assemble his energy. Perseverance would be their only weapon right now unless Vegeta could suddenly pull another stage of Super Saiyajin out of his ass.

From the corner of his eyes he saw the man from the earlier was now standing and holding the red pole expertly. He was about to speak to the man when Vegeta abruptly collided into him and sent them rolling to the ground and at the feet of the mysterious man. Vegeta groaned in pain his aura fading and hair turning back to it's original dark color. He was dead tired...

" Gah... Vegeta damnit!" Gohan murmured in pain. He had dislocated his shoulder when Vegeta got thrown into him.

" Essence!" A voice spoke sharply and the injured men were suddenly still as stone statues. I couldn't be... the voice roughly familiar and different than they remembered but still recognizable: one very dear but not heard in seven years. Gohan's now dark eyes locked onto the figure towering above them with confident fighter's stance who has used bo as a weapon very long time. A familiar stance. Looking like he had been through a grinder and with more tanned skin and darker look to him than Gohan recalled stood none other than Son Goku. His face was scarred and his hair was pulled into a small ponytail at the base of his neck, leaving his fore spikes as normally; clothes were black and torn and he was bloody all over. Had it not been for his voice Gohan doubted he wouldn't have recognized him.

" Dad?"

" Kakarotto?"

Dark eyes, much darker and colder than they knew Goku's to be, gazed at them and a tight but warm smile grazed his face.

" Gohan, Vegeta," he acknowledged, " it's not time for this. It's time to end this. The Essence, beast never meant to be to cease to exist."

" SHADOW!" It boomed agitated, having finally come down from his self-righteous gloating before he'd finish off the idiots and took notice of this new development. The irritating shit wasn't dead? Yet.

Wordlessly Goku smirked at it and changed his stance from defensive to offensive.

" Shadow?" Gohan inquired from the ground too exhausted to even think of standing up and Vegeta had managed to get on his knees and now stared at Goku with non-readable expression.

" In Hell you gain nicknames: _kage no yarou_ they call me. Shadow it became..." Goku said airily, eyes distant and mind and spirit completely focused upon the battle. He attacked with one graceful movement and Essence began laughing and released his fear to deter his enemy but it didn't seem to be affecting the man in the least.

Goku lashed with the bo, extending it and hitting the antagonist on the back leaving a burn mark and the smell of burnt flesh filled the stale air. Essence screamed in sudden agony caused such puny stick and it finally took in the weapon it had been hit with. Its eyes widened in sudden fright.

No!

Nyoibo, the Legendary Weapon lost kami knows how long ago was here and it could destroy him. The only thing in the Universe which could harm it and it just had to be here in the possession of his adversaries... ki couldn't kill it; there didn't even exists enough of it to destroy his immortal being but Holy Weapons blessed with the power of the Ancient time before he had been born. An object that had created it could also eliminate it like water evaporates in heat.

" Where did you get that! You must have stolen it!" he roared in anger and Goku only smirked calmly, almost pityingly.

" I didn't steal it: it's mine passed to me by my Grandfather Son Gohan thus I know how to use it..." the Saiyajin explained, twirling it the seemingly weak stick in difficult patterns with ease.

" Son... Gohan... the accursed Son line still lives on after thousands of years... I will not be imprisoned by your lot again!" Beast charged and Goku was forced to leap out of way and managed to deal a good hit the with end of the bo, while flipping in the air and landing steadily on his feet.

" Nyiobo extend!" he commanded quietly and waited as the Essence rushed at him intending to crush and mangle him to certain death. " HA! GO!"

The end of the pole shot forwards and towards the raging demon-beast, piercing its chest before protruding from its back, glowing fiery red and burning it from inside. Agonized shriek resounded with such rage that heavens must of heard it and the demonic being writhed, trying to dislodge the Holy Weapon from its body before it burned him alive.

Had it only killed them and not toyed with them...

" RRAAAAGH!"

" It's over," Goku said coldly and twisted the stick with a swift twist of his wrist and the mighty being impaled on the pole began to disintegrate, literally. It just began vanishing and crumbling, not existing. It roared, trashed and cursed and vowed vengeance, pleaded for its live but nothing could of made Son Goku stop the slow and painful death. The old Goku might have let go when the creature began crying for help but all the mercy his soul had possessed had been beaten out of it and he really couldn't stop Essence's death: too much was at risk there.

The Saiyajin could feel the strain taking its toll on his abused body as so much holiness was channeled through him, his body going numb and vision swimming with dark and silvery dots. One last screech of evil rage passed and the last hair of the Essence ceased existing leaving the the Saiyajin warrior standing there with Nyoibo in his extended hands, still glowing fiery red.

His legs gave out under him and he fell on his ass very unceremoniously, Nyoibo clattering on the ground from his numb fingers.

" Daddy!" Gohan nearly shrieked and scampered to hug his long lost father, tears of joy glistening in his eyes. " You're alive! You're alive!" he sobbed and hugged his father like drowning person hangs onto a twig.

" Hiiih... pain... Gohan... can't... breath... agony..." _ Yeah, I must be alive cuz I'm in this much pain..._

" Sorry..." Gohan let go with some remorse. Goku smiled with fatigue and eyed his son with proud eyes. He had truly become a great man...

" Kakarotto," Vegeta nodded as he slowly crawled towards them, having obviously many broken bones. " You asshole just have to always save the fucking universe..." The words were harsh and despising but the nearly unnoticeable nuance in the smirk on the prince's face told more than the words expressed. He was more than glad to have his friend back. The trio chuckled in post haze of the battle which worked like a drug; it made everything so damn funny.

" Ya can have the next one 'Geta... the pays worth of jack shit and I'm too old for this shit anyways..." With that Goku fainted dead away from the fatigue and Gohan and Vegeta gaped. Since when had Goku used so many curse words and sarcasm? Then Vegeta's face got red with anger.

" OI KAKAROTTO! DON'T CALL ME GETA YOU THIRD CLASS MORON!"

Gohan couldn't help but roll in helpless laughter and laugh. Explanations would be due time but this was not the moment for them. This was the moment you enjoyed just being generally alive.

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ChiChi heart skipped a beat and the flow of her tears stopped like someone had turned the faucet off. She wiped her eyes, feeling rare felt joy bubbling in her soul for some reason. For the first time in years her eyes brightened and sting from the punch and slap she had received faded away.

_What is this?!_

Her heart beat with liveliness and she could feel color rising to her cheeks.

_This feeling...!!!_

_He's back! My Kami, he's back!_

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**A/N:** It looks like the next chapters gonna be the last one where everything will be explained and the happy ending may ensue... Epilogue's gonna be up soon which makes this story complete!

**RANT ABOUT NYOIBO:** The reason I made Nyoibo (Power Pole) a holy weapon is because it really is in the original myth Great Journey to the West which the DBZ is loosely based on. The main character Sun Wu Kong, the Monkey King ( Son Goku in Chinese) has this Nyibo which is given to him by Gods before exiling him back on mortal realm and it's a Godly Weapon that was one of the things to create and support the known world. I don't remember exactly how the whole thing went but Nyoibo is practically indestructible, ancient, magical bo-pole created and really owned by Gods which accidentally got in the mortal realm because of the Monkey King. Just to let you know so you don't question me about it :).

Review, please!


	16. Chapter 16: Homecoming

**A/N:** Yes, this is, finally, the (maybe) final chapter of this story! Yay for me! Took my sweet time with this didn't I? But I have a good reason! I never knew college could be so much trouble: especially when you don't have a dorm and have to commute/drive from home and all... It took me only few years to complete this...(sweatdrop) Thanks for all the reviews and support you have given during this journey! I hope you can find my other stories as entertaining and to your liking as this one!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own a thing! I'm a poor college student whose all money goes to buying gas to keep her car moving and taking her to her college!

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Chapter XV – Homecoming

Gohan felt more tired than he had in ages: tired but nevertheless happiest than he had been in ages. He could only stare in almost drunken stupor at the unconscious, but very much alive, body of his long lost father lying on the weird empty blackness. _Mother's going to be so happy and then what's-his name-again can go to hell!_ The half-breed thought gleefully, letting out a small satisfied chuckle. Vegeta only smirked at his general direction, knowing what the boy was so happy about other than getting his father back. When Kakarotto would learn what the human man had done to his mate he'd flip so badly that Vegeta wouldn't be surprised if he converted to the dark side in that exact moment. Gohan's so-called step-father would be experiencing the horrors of the century.

" Heey!" An overjoyed yell rang in the vastness, cracked with emotion, and both men turned to receive a lapful of chattering and sobbing half-breeds and be thrown to the ground from the impact.

" PAPA! Papa, papa! You don't know what has happened we found that legend was true dragon and all and we were in the desert and then the shadow man cam and who we later found out to be Goten's dad and who is also Gohan's papa and he's really is an alien like you are which so totally cool though I'm not sure if mom knows about this---" the lilac-headed child started explaining a mile per second

" ...What? Trunks? How...?" Vegeta held his son from under his arms in front of his face, not believing this purple-haired kid was his missing son, feeling stupefied from the sheer emotion and shock. Trunks was now as tanned as he himself was and covered in cuts and burns. His clothes were torn and dirty and his usually neatly limp hair was in such disarray that any Saiyajin would have been proud of it. What was most noticeable was that Trunks already higher than average humans had gone up quite a bit, thanks to the ordeals and injuries he had sustained in Hell.

Goten had latched himself to Gohan, who wore a happy but painful grin for the little child was hugging his injured ribcage so hard, and soothed the almost hysteric child.

" It was scary, big brother, so scary... but guess what?! I found Dad! He's totally cool!" Goten explained happily and then his face fell suddenly, and his black eyes started welling up with tears. " But... but now he's missing and that big meanie probably killed him!" he wailed. Gohan was not sure what was going on exactly and how his father related to the whole disappearance of the boys, but a smile graced his exhausted features.

" Shadow..." Trunks murmured also sadly, having heard Goten's declaration. Both children in their joy and panic had failed to see the unconscious body of Son Goku, completely safe and alive. And currently awake, again.

" OK,who died ans is the cause of such bitching?" he moaned annoyed, and sat up, holding his head and still feeling too weak for his liking. Four pairs of eyes

were immediately glued to him, blinking stupidly.

" What?" Goku asked snappishly. Never in his life had he felt such headache...

" Shadow's alive!!" Trunks shrieked brightly and made Goku wince at the high pitch.

" Daddy!" Goten exclaimed and wriggled out of Gohan's grasp, ready to make sure the man was all right.

" Calm down, for Hell's sake; Kakarotto isn't that easy to get rid of. Believe me I've tried..." Vegeta growled and received two almost horrified stares form the young half-breeds. Gohan only snorted in laughter: nothing short of whole Universe collapsing could probably make his father croak anymore. Frieza's past words 'one tough bastard monkey' really described his current persona well.

Goku only waved Vegeta's comment off nonchalantly and Gohan and Vegeta fixed their stares on the misbehaving boys.

" And now that the compulsory shitty chit-chat is done with, I think it's time to explain what the hell you two were thinking?!" the Saiyajin Prince asked darkly, his brows lowering even more than normally making his scowl really frightening. The duo's eyes got wide at this and the both looked at each other: screwed.

"Goten?" Gohan scoffed alongside Vegeta and the half-breed brats the looked hopefully at Goku, who only shook his head and crossed his arms, looking the part of an angry parent perfectly: a menacing parent at that.

Trunks flashed a bright, extremely innocent grin. " So Dad, how's Mom?"

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After some yelling, threats, hugs and some more yelling and threats it was Goku's turn to reveal where he had been the last seven year and what had happened to him. His persona and outlooks had gone under some tremendous changes which put both Gohan and Vegeta little off. After tales were exchanged and news given and received Goku was more than ready to get home to reclaim his wife and what was his.

The fury that bubbled inside him was barely controlled. First he had been hesitant to ask about his wife and her new husband but when Gohan and Vegeta had revealed the truth that had been veiled from him for years, twisted previously by the warlock's crystal ball strategically, he felt angry enough to go Super Saiyajin.

" Whoa, Dad... as glad as I am with your intentions power down a bit," Gohan stuttered and backed away from his currently almost berserk Saiyajin father.

" Kakarotto..." Vegeta gnashed his teeth in frustration as he felt Goku's powerlevel fully first time in ages.

" What?" Goku asked, feeling oddly different, yet awfully familiar feeling surge in his sinewy body. A platinum-golden lock waved in front of his eyes with the force of his tightly controlled golden chi. His torso was aflame with brilliant flame-like energy and thunderbolts criss-crossed him all over. He was after seven years a Super Saiyajin. An ascended Super Saiyajin. And yet he realized he could go higher than that, yet.

" My powers! They're back!" he whispered hoarsely. " My chi has been locked down for so long that the strain itself has made it grow stronger?" Goku immediately speculated, speaking aloud.

" Yeah, great Dad! But now, please, power down!" Gohan struggled a bit, holding Goten securely in his arms, whose eyes were wide as saucers. " Cool! My Dad can transform into a superhero!"

" Gah!" The full grown Saiyajins facefaulted and felt huge sweatdrops falling down their heads. Goku powered down with a relieved sigh.

" Hmh, it's not that hard," Vegeta boasted and set Trunks down, who was just as astonished as Goten.With a shout performed a painful transformation to SSJ: he was still injured and out of power. Trunks' eyes bigged nearly out of his head.

" Kewl..." he whispered in awe and then the idea struck him. " Hey, can I and Goten do that too?!"

" Oh, can we!? Can we?!"

Gohan smirked. " Naturally, you just need the right kind of training and---"

BOOM! WHOOM!

" Hey whoa! This is easier than it even looks!" the older half-breed brat said as he inspected himself as a Super Saiyajin, the aura flickering a bit uncontrollably around him.

" You think we can be alien heroes like Superman, too?" Goten asked his best friend as he wondered about his now blonde locks and the strange energy running through him.

" ...nevermind," Gohan mumbled his jaw hanging slack. Goku and Vegeta stared in open state of utter moment of being caught off-guard before they began chuckling proudly at their sons while casting a suspicious glance at each other. Both guessed they weren't alone in making love to their mates in Super Saiyajin state...

" Well, I've always told that woman that Trunks takes more after me anyways... he's my son after all!"

" ChiChi's gonna be so pissed off... Whaddya know! Hell, another Super Saiyajin in the family!"

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With on purposeful placement of Goku fingers and one sharp thought later, the ragged team found themselves in middle of the Ox King's grand castle's hall at Mt. Fry Pan. Goku blinked as he removed his fingers from his forehead, feeling slightly disoriented since he had last used Shunkan Idou (Instant Transmission) what felt like few lifetimes ago.

" Ya moved to Grandpa's castle?" he couldn't help but ask.

" Well, Gramps died a years after you vanished and Mom was deemed the next ruler and from there things started go spiral downwards," Gohan clarified quietly and Goku nodded curtly. Before more conversation could be initiated a sound of footsteps drew their immediate attention.

" Miles! Whatta hell is this riff-raff ragtag group doing in my vestibule hall?!" Hayashi's commanding voice demanded and he stood at the end of the stairs, looking as royal as a mule in dress. The man called Miles ( yay, a cameo!) came running to take care of the situation and stopped like he had hit a brick wall. That new man with spikiest hair... (that suspiciously resembled young master Goten's hair, miraculously) was bad news. He immediately knew it in his bones. Previous life memories, if you will.

" Uh oh... I'll call an ambulance, your highness!" he said stiffly and went to find a phone. Rather the one at the very farthest corner of the hall.

" Ambulance for this riff-raff? Well, they look rather hurt... Miles, you're always too kind soul," Hayashi complimented and glared at the group he now recognized as his step-sons and the husband of Bulma Briefs.

" I try, sir," he replied stiffly and then dashed out of the room, almost bowling over his Queen.

" Hayashi? What is going on? Do we have quests or---" ChiChi stopped like someone flicked a switch off and her black depths locked at one particular, ragged and bruised being in middle of the very familiar group. Her mouth moved, but no sound came out, her eyes shimmering with tears. Goku smiled gently in return, though still hesitantly.

" GOKUUH!" She screamed in delight and rushed the stairs down, past very confused Hayashi, pushed Vegeta out of way and jumped into Goku's arms with such force they went tumbling down on the stone floor. Without waisting any more time she wrapped herself around him and kissed him with all her might and passion, surprising everybody.

" ChiChi?! Whatta fuck?!" Hayashi croaked out as **his** wife went and smooched some strange man like some common whore!

" Oh yuck..." Goten and Trunks both grimaced and stuck their tongues out in disgust. "...how do they breathe, by the way?"

" I don't know since I'm not seeing this!" Vegeta slapped his forehead and buried then his face into his hand.

Goku eagerly returned her kiss and all doubts were wiped from his mind and being replaced by sweet bliss of her love and closeness...

" Hey! Stop stop stop!! ChiChi, that's not a way for a dignified Queen to behave!" Hayashi ran to them and tried to pry ChiChi off of Goku with no apparent success.

" Eww... you taste like blood..." ChiChi murmured to Goku who in return gave her a pointed look, " and to tell the truth I kinda missed it too... GODDAMNIT, HAYASHI! STOP FUCKING YANKING LIKE THAT!!" She growled and jumped to her feet, sending the prince stumbling on his ass.

" You bitch... I'll---" he angrily raised his fist about to strike her, when a tanned fist hit him squarely to the face (which was still swollen and hurt after Gohan's punch) and he found his royal self almost being embedded to the floor in more severe pain that ever.

" So you're the asshole whose been fooling with my wife!" Goku snarled and cracked nastily his knuckles and what Hayashi knew next was a world of pain as a golden devil himself descended his wrath upon him. It was his luck the ambulance was already in the way.

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On Kame Island Kuririn's ice widened and he almost chocked on his drink and Juuhachi accidentally shattered her own drink glass...

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Yamcha missed a critical hit and received a baseball straight to the face, but took no notice as he felt what he hadn't felt in ages...

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Tenshinhan and Chaozu paused their spar in midair, small smiles creeping over their serious and concentration-filled faces...

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Bulma lifted her head up and frowned. Call it an instinct but suddenly she knew her husband and child were alright with somebody else...

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...Son Goku was back!

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**A/N:** It looks like have to write a short and real epilogue since I'm not completely satisfied how I tied the ends in this chap... Thanks for everything! Hope to see you in other stories! REVIEW, KUDASAI! JA NE!


	17. Epilogue: Challenges Never End

**A/N:** Epilogue up!

**Disclaimer:** The last disclaimer ever for this story and still no progress in owning DBZ. I know I should've bribed--- uh, I mean, paid more for my lawyer...

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Epilogue – The Challenges Never End

Officially three months had past since the very celebrated return of Son Goku and many things had changed for better or gone back to normal. ChiChi wasn't completely happy with her husband's new and rawer nature but was experiencing the joys of falling in love again with her husband. Bulma had immediately planned a party for him and everybody had been happy to see each other again: getting reacquainted with Goku had been an experience itself after getting over the shock of his appearance. More serious and scarred with a tan and attitude weren't the first features to come into mind when you spoke of Son Goku, until recently.

After finding out that Gohan lacked in his training and that Goten was never ever received any kind of training in his life had flamed his temper. More for the sake of Goten's and their own safety since the boy was now a fresh Super Saiyajin with not one ounce of control over his powers, expect the transformation. ChiChi had reluctantly agreed to his point of view but Goku's methods of persuasion were rather questionable. To some people it was miracle how fast Goku and ChiChi rekindled their flame, but then again most people didn't have a marriage and love like theirs.

The Son family had decided to stay in Ox King's castle and make their old home a vacation cottage of some sort, since they owned the lands there and it was still under Son's name. ChiChi continued as a Queen and she was slowly but surely getting her lost personality and will back with few incidents only. She even made Gohan start a real high school instead of home schooling and without him rotting in his own room.

Life was settling down and routines were starting to take place. Goku met with his friends frequently, sparred with his sons and Vegeta, and was slowly gaining his previous muscle mass and appetite back. Hell had taught him to survive with minimal food and water so his body and mind still had to adjust back to the idea of possibly receiving nourishment whenever he so desired.

It felt weird being called Son Goku again; he had used the name Shadow for so long. Trunks still sometimes called him that and it served as a good reminder to pretty much appreciate what he had, damnit.

The boys were also told all about their heritage and finally being introduced to the Z senshi; Bulma and ChiChi little sheepishly apologized for their strictness, but with the lifestyle the defenders of Earth led, none really blamed them, as bad as it was to lie to children about something like that. Goten and Trunks spent the next weeks in complete lala-land filled with heroic deeds and superheroes of all kind; mostly somehow related to Z senshi achievements and powers. Their teacher had already written many notes for their families which told the parents not to allow their sons read so much foolish hero comics and stop encouraging them to use violence since they often sparred at leisure to practice their newly learned and exciting skills.

There was one thing that really ticked Son Goku off, though. Some dufus had claimed the title of the Champion of Tenkaichi Budoukai and called himself the savior of Earth on their call. Usually merciful person, Goku had suffered seven unimaginable years in Hell, for saving Earth and idiot needed a lesson for taking credit for other people's hard work...

It was 27th Tenkaichi Budoukai coming up...

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" Dad, can't you reconsider this?" Gohan pleaded desperately his father who was solemnly wrapping his sash tightly around his waist. The pair were in the locker room of the stadium where other participants were also dressing and getting ready for their matches. The other had already gone to watch the preliminary rounds; the ridiculous punching machine.

" Nope. Ya know ya even wanna have a crack at the asshole, son," he retorted and cracked his knuckles. An unconscious habit he had taken on from Hell. Gohan cringed at this and the words the same.

" But... but..." Gohan looked stricken.

" You fancy that Satan girl and you're afraid she'll hate you if she ever found out I beat the shit out of her father?"

" Uh... eh... not! I just..." The young demi-Saiyajin went beet red and fumbled for words, trying to explain himself.

" Sorry to say this, but pray for miraculous intervention if you wanna stop his beating!"Goku left for the battle area, Gohan running after him, pleading him to not to do it and ChiChi wouldn't like if he drove away a potential wife material. The statement of course resulted in merciless teasing...

The unbeknown mowhaked and purple-skinned Kaioshin left in the locker room smirked. _If you only knew..._

-FINISH-

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**A/N:** Now I'm happy and I hope you are too! See ya and please leave a comment: positive or negative! I hope you enjoyed this! The rest of the story will go almost like in the anime with Buu and all! I forgot to mention in the last chapter that Miles is a character from one of my previous stories: he's a reliable minion who died in the end like baddies do, and thus the cold chills he got from Goku and the previous life thing P! JA NE!!


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